One Hell of a Reaper
by PhantomGypsy13
Summary: Lilliana Kiliamo has been a maid for the Phantomhive manor ever since Sebastian and Ciel hired her, but she has a few secrets to keep. For example, she is a Rogue Reaper and she has an interest in that devilish butler.
1. The Able Servant

Lilliana Kiliamo has been a maid at the Phantomhive manor ever since Sebastian Michaelis and Earl Ciel Phantomhive hired her. She helped clean up after Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Baldroy whenever they made a mess of things, but she never hated the poor servants for their messes. She knew they were trying their absolute hardest, even if it didn't seem like it. They all didn't want to disappoint the master and especially Sebastian and who could blame them? Ciel, who was only twelve years old, acted much older than his age. He was mature, stoic, and cunning, just like his father before him, but sadly, he and his wife were tragically killed in a house fire. Ciel would have died too, but somehow, he survived and not only that, he survived with only a scar on his right eye, or at least, she thought it was a scar. He wore an eye patch to cover the eye, but the only person who has seen it was Sebastian.

Speaking of which, Sebastian was different from the other servants she worked with. He was the head butler and Ciel's personal assistant. He did everything with diligence and expertise that anyone could have mistaken him for something nonhuman. Though he was an excellent butler, he was also a great bodyguard for his young master. He seemed to do almost the impossible to catch a runaway item headed for his young master or push him out of the way of danger. Although the servants could too if they truly tried, they wouldn't be able to do even half the things Sebastian could do. He was just simply one hell of a butler.

Today, Lilliana worked in the kitchen to make breakfast for her dear master. Today's breakfast was poached salmon with mint salad and scones. The smells of the food filled the entire kitchen, making her hungry; despite she ate some oatmeal just before cooking. Baldroy, the chef, would have helped too, but he was busy getting everything prepared for tonight's special dinner with Mr. Damiano, a man who was in charge of stuffed animal factory in India. She made sure that he didn't burn anything since he had a tendency of using a flamethrower with every meal, thinking that it would speed up the process, but it always left everything burnt to a crisp. After some time, Sebastian walked into the kitchen and asked, "Is breakfast ready?"

"Not just yet. In a few minutes, it will be," she said with a smile. She didn't want to turn around because she knew that if her olive green eyes looked into his crimson ones, she wouldn't be able to look away. She had to admit, there was something about that butler that intrigued her, but she couldn't quite figure out what. Maybe it was because he was unlike anyone she met or the fact that he was in face, a handsome butler. "Did you wake up the young master yet?"

"Once the food is ready, I will," he said as he walked up to the stove she was cooking on. "It smells delicious."

"Thank you; I learned from the best," she said. He smiled at the statement and after some time, the food was ready and placed on a plate with care. Everything had to be perfect for Ciel Phantomhive.

"Take this to the dining room and I will wake up the master," Sebastian ordered as he left the room.

"Yes sir," Lilliana and Baldroy said in unison.

Once he left the room, Baldroy looked to her and said, "Should all four of us go? We haven't received our orders yet."

"I don't see the harm in doing so," she said as she put the plates of food onto the cart. She left the room while he headed to the servant's quarters to get the other two servants.

* * *

"Ow," Finnian yelled after he was hit in the head with a dart. Ciel liked to play games with people, even when the opponent didn't know they were playing one. This time, he threw a dart at the poor gardener who was just talking to the other servants. "What was that for all of the sudden?! What did I do, young master?"

"You should have seen that coming," Ciel coldly said, leaving Finnian in disbelief.

Suddenly, the doors opened and in came Sebastian saying, "There you three are! Finny, have you finished weeding the courtyard?"

"Well," he said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Mey-Rin, have you washed the sheets?"

"Um," she said shyly.

"Bard, weren't you supposed to be preparing tonight's dinner?"

"Damn," he answered.

"Tanaka," Sebastian said to the old man who was sipping tea, but he didn't want to give him any strenuous work. "Well, you're all right as you are."

"Ho, ho, ho," the old man responded with delight.

"If you have time to dawdle here, then use that time towards your work," Sebastian scolded.

"I thought you told me that you didn't have chores to do right now," Lilliana asked Baldroy.

"Well, I might have lied about that," he said as he rushed out of the room with the other two servants. Lilliana wiped her face with her hand and sighed as she started to walk out the room, but Sebastian stopped her.

"Today, I want you to work with me. I'm sure the servants will make a mess of things and I want you there with me in case that happens," he said.

"Yes sir," she answered. Throughout the day, the two of them worked hard to prepare for their guest's arrival, including setting the table, polishing all the silverware, creating a beautiful centerpiece, and finally, making the dinner. He prepared the meat while she chopped up vegetables. "If you know Baldroy is going to ruin the meal, why would you put him in charge of cooking it in the first place?"

"He has his very flawed moments, but there are some days when he is a truly good servant. I can't strip him of his duties just because of one mistake, though sooner or later, I might have to," he said.

"One mistake," she teased. "I think he's made more than one mistake." The two of them laughed, but soon, a little bell rang, indicating that Ciel wanted his butler in the study.

Sebastian sighed. "Why must he call when I'm always busy? There is still so much to do. . . . You wouldn't mind finishing the meal, do you, Lilliana?"

"Not at all," she said with a smile. Sebastian left the room and she started to work on the meat. Sweat started to moisten her raven hair, but she tried hard to avoid any sweat from getting into the meat.

Suddenly, the door opened and in came Baldroy with a flamethrower. "Don't worry, Lilliana, I'll cook it up for you!"

"What are you doing with that thing?! Put it-," she said, but it was too late. He already turned on the flamethrower and aimed for the table, but instead of cooking the meat, the fire spread throughout the entire table, burning everything it touched. The two of them screamed as she quickly ran for a pail of water and splashed it to the growing flame. Luckily, she was exceptionally faster than all of the servants, excluding Sebastian, and eventually, the flame was gone, but it left quite a mess of the table. "What were you thinking? How many times have we told you that flamethrowers don't belong in the kitchen," she yelled.

Baldroy guiltily said, "Sorry, I just wanted to cook the meat faster. Aren't we Phantomhive servants supposed to do things quickly?"

She sighed. "Yes, but you also have to be efficient."

"I'm sorry," he said. Suddenly, they heard a loud crash from upstairs and the two of them rushed up to see what made the noise. When they finally arrived, they saw that Mey-Rin was lying on the ground with broken glass and furniture around her.

"What happened here," Lilliana asked, almost annoyed that two simple chores have become messes.

"I was trying to get out the tea set for our guest, but I fell and took everything down with me," she cried.

"Are you all right, though," he said as he helped her stand to her feet.

"Yes, I'm all right," she said with a sad smile.

Lilliana sighed and looked out the window, but saw that the courtyard was completely dead, as if a Grim Reaper took the life out of the vegetation. "What the fuck?!" The two servants looked outside and gasped in shock. The three of them ran outside and saw that Finny was crying about his failure. "I thought using undiluted weed-killer would kill all the weeds, but it killed everything!"

"Ugh, can one thing go right today," Lilliana said under her breath.

"What are we going to do," the three servants asked frantically.

"There is one thing we can do: get Sebastian's help," she said. The three servants looked at her with frightened eyes, but they knew that she was right.

They walked back inside to the kitchen, hoping she could find a way to save dinner, but Sebastian was already in the hallway with a shocked face. "How did you guys manage to botch up your jobs this badly?"

"We're sorry Sebastian," the three servants cried, begging that their mistakes wouldn't be their last, or at least, the ones that finally get them fired. Lilliana turned her face away, trying to avoid his cold eyes. It was almost her job to make sure that the three of them didn't mess up their jobs, at least, not this badly, but she couldn't even do that.

"Calm down, all of you," Sebastian said. "Listen carefully and do exactly as I say. We only have two hours left and we need to be quick. We'll have to manage with what we have."

* * *

As the agonizing two hours passed, the five of them worked their very hardest to create the perfect dinner for their guest with the little time they had. They turned the courtyard into a Japanese stone garden, used Tanaka's favorite tea set, and even managed to cook the burnt meat by removing the black cover. The moment was upon them and Mr. Damiano finally arrived at the Phantomhive manor. Sebastian escorted him out of the carriage and he noticed the beautiful, but unusual garden that welcomed him. "Welcome," the servants said with a smile.

"Tonight's dinner will be served out here tonight, but until then, why don't you wait inside the manor," Sebastian said.

"Of course, the Phantomhives sure don't disappoint their guest, but I wouldn't expect any less," the Italian man said as he walked by the servants, but stopped when he saw Lilliana. "Oh my, the Earl surely has the best servants working for him. Bella, if you wish to find another job opportunity, you can always work for me."

"Thank you sir, but my loyalty will stay with the Phantomhives," she said with a fake smile. Damiano pouted and headed into the manor. The three servants marveled at their success, but once Damiano was gone, her smile quickly faded as she said, "I hate those fucking men! Just because I'm a woman, it doesn't mean I'll sleep with anyone. I'm a maid, not a prostitute!"

"It's all right, Lilliana," Sebastian said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "But it can't be helped that you are too beautiful for your position."

She blushed with embarrassment. She thought she was thinking to herself, but she instead said it out loud. Not only that, but he complimented her as well, causing her to blush an ever deeper shade of red. "L-Let's get things ready for tonight's dinner," she said hesitantly.

"You're right. Let's get to it while the master is speaking business with our guest. There is still work to be done," he ordered. The servants quickly went into the kitchen, but Sebastian pulled her away from the rest and asked, "So, is our guest on your . . . _list_ tonight, you know, after your servile duties are done?"

"No, but William is still pissed at me for taking this job in the first place. He gives me so many assignments at night to the point that I don't even have time to sleep in between jobs," she said.

"You know you could have declined at any time, right?"

"I know, but I actually like working for the Phantomhives," she said with a smile as they both headed to the kitchen where they saw Finny and Bard removing the black cover off of the meat. Luckily for them, it was still edible and they prepared to cook it.

"Sebastian and Lilliana, I found them," Mey-Rin said as she ran to them with a tall stack of boxes in her arms, but she soon tripped, sending the boxes flying in the air. In the blink of an eye, the two of them caught the boxes almost with ease and managed to get them all before any of them crashed on the floor.

"Honestly, how many times have I told you not to run inside the manor," Sebastian asked in a disappointed, but gentle tone.

"I'm so sorry, sir, but my glasses are cracked, you see, and I can't really see where I'm going," Mey-Rin said frantically with a deep crimson face. The two men in the kitchen heard the commotion outside and wanted to see what was going on.

"Well, regardless, we have everything we need for now. Splendid work everyone! Leave the rest to Lilliana and me and take a break. Oh, and please do not, I repeat, _do not_ touch a thing," he said with a smile.

"He said it twice; he must be serious," Lilliana said under her breath.

"Yes sir," the three of them said. Lilliana playfully sighed, but they took the boxes to the table outside and carefully placed the tea set, plates, silverware, and centerpiece. Baldroy made his special fast-paced meal for tonight and when it was done, she placed the delicious food on a cart and took it outside while Sebastian left to announce that dinner was ready.

After some time, everyone was at the dinner table. Ciel sat at the head of the table, Damiano sat at the other side, and the servants stood by, awaiting orders. "Tonight's menu is a finely-chopped raw beef donburi from our wonderful chef Baldroy," Sebastian said with his usual sophistication.

"A pile of raw beef . . . is our dinner," Damiano asked. The words "raw beef" and "dinner" did not mix in his mind, especially since it seemed unsanitary.

"Yes. This meal is made for someone that deserves great gratitude and appreciation. We hope it is to your liking, especially since it is a token of our thanks for your devoted efforts on behalf of the Funtom Company."

"Ha, what an inspiring dish you have served! That's the legendary first-rate Phantomhive hospitality that I've come to know!"

"Also, we have a specially prepared Italian wine for you as well to compliment the food perfectly," he said with a wink to signal Mey-Rin to pour the wine. However, she seemed flustered, as if his wink somehow caused her to be nervous, or was it the fact that he was watching? Not only that, but she was nervous that her cracked glasses would hinder her simple task of pouring wine into a glass. Sure enough, she did spill the wine, but she was so embarrassed that she didn't quickly bring it up. Instead, it kept pouring to the point that it was going to spill on the poor man eating his specially made food. Sebastian noticed this and before the wine could reach the edge, he pulled the tablecloth off the table, but somehow, he managed to not carry everything else with it. It was like magic, amazing everyone.

Damiano finally finished his dinner, but once he placed the bowl back down on the table, he noticed something amiss. "What happened to the tablecloth?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but there was a speck of dirt on it and we had to remove it. Please, continue to enjoy the meal," Lilliana said as she took the tablecloth from Sebastian's hands and left the dinner scene.

"Wow, once again, you have impressed me, Lord Phantomhive. Your butler is an able one, isn't he?"

"He is only doing what is proper for a butler," Ciel said.

"He is quite right. You see, I'm simply one hell of a butler," Sebastian said with a smirk.

* * *

"Are you going to work now," Sebastian asked Lilliana after dinner and cleanup were finished. He knew it was time for her to go to her other job now, but she was still here.

"Not right now. He's not going to die tonight, but it will be one hell of a show that I don't want to miss," she said with a devilish look in her eyes, something that he enjoyed seeing. Even though she seemed sweet and innocent, she was just as sadistic as he was, especially when mischief was about to happen. After a while, he prepared tea and pudding for the two noblemen and was about to enter the drawing room, but Damiano opened the door before he could and without saying a word, he stormed out the room.

He walked for a while before he found what seemed to be a private room with a telephone and started calling someone. "I fucking hate babysitting that little brat! Yes, the factory has been long since sold off and now, I just need to pocket the cash I can swindle from that brat." Even though he thought he was alone, there were two people who were listening to his conversation and they knew the proper way to punish a bastard like him.

Damiano headed for the drawing room, but the poor man got lost along the way. The manor was a large place and anyone who didn't know the layout could easily get lost. Throughout his trip back, he thought he kept seeing faces, almost like skeleton faces, staring at him. Although he thought it was just his imagination, he soon heard a voice saying, "You are bewitched by the eyes of the dead." He stopped in his tracks when he heard that. Wasn't that a space on that brat's board game? He thought it was eerie, but tried to make sense of the situation and continued walking. Suddenly, he heard noises in front of him and looked to see where they were coming from. Soon, he saw a figure, but it was dragging something very heavy. The figure got closer to the light and it revealed a hooded person with a large scythe, almost like one that a Grim Reaper had.

"Get away from me," Damiano yelled as he ran like hell away from the figure.

As soon as he was at a far enough distance, Lilliana removed her hood and smiled. "That will teach you to mess with the Phantomhives." She then picked up her Death Scythe and made sure there weren't any scratches. "William would kill me if you got a scratch."

"Aaaaaaaiiiiiiiieeeeee!" The three servants frantically bickered as they saw their guest in a lot of pain because of his twisted right leg. He fell down the stairs and hurt himself pretty badly. They tried to help him, but he was in so much fear that he didn't want any of their help.

"You lose your leg in the enchanted forest," that same voice said only to him. He started crawling away, but he eventually met up with Sebastian's evil smile.

"Where are you going, sir? Surely, you aren't leaving the manner yet? We still haven't given you the full Phantomhive treatment. Besides, you lost a leg, so you have to move half of the spaces, remember? Why don't you just relax a bit and make yourself at home?" Despite the innocent tone, his intentions were far from that. Damiano quickly crawled away from him and eventually found a dark room to hide in, but the footsteps came closer and closer and he had no choice, but to hide. He found a place, but he noticed something was wrong. Not only were the footsteps getting closer and closer, but they seemed to have multiplied. Regardless, he remained quiet, but then, light appeared in the area he was hiding in the form of fire. He heard something slide over and saw two pairs of eyes staring at him: one crimson and one olive green.

"What an impatient guest you are," Lilliana said with a sinister tone. "You _had_ to get the pudding in the oven now."

"Wait, an oven? Let me out of here! Open this door at once! Please!"

"Perhaps Italians aren't familiar with our English customs? Plum pudding, mince meat, and any desserts from England in general have animal fat that needs to be burnt away," Sebastian said as he closed the little window of the oven, leaving him there to burn.

"Your body is burnt by the raging flames," Lilliana said as she picked up her Death Scythe so it was over her shoulder. "Well, I hope that bastard appreciated our Phantomhive hospitality! I'll be off to work now."

"All right then. Thank you for your help," Sebastian said with a smirk. Only she knew the funs of being a demon among humans, especially those who deserved punishment. After all, she was a Grim Reaper.

"You're welcome," she said as she removed her hooded cloak, revealing her uniform: black slacks, a white collar shirt, and a brown vest. Since she was the only female Reaper in her sect, she was required to wear male clothing, or at least, the female cut of male clothing. Her black heeled boots were the only thing that was feminine, but even then, she knew one man (or woman, or whatever the hell he was) who wore heels to work. Her straight, black hair was no longer in a bun and was flowing past her shoulders, covering her right eye. "I'll see you in the morning," she said as she left through a window.

* * *

"Where have you been, Ms. Kiliamo," a stern man with brown hair, a tuxedo, and grey glasses said as she walked in an hour late to her shift.

"Sorry, Will, but I got caught up with work. You'll have to forgive me," she said as she put on her spectacles. They were red, but had a slim frame. She was one of two Reapers that didn't really need spectacles, but they were part of the uniform, so she had to wear them.

William T. Spears raised an eyebrow at her statement. "I hope that's the case and not you falling for that demon. Lately, you have been coming late to work and that's always the excuse you use."

"Being a maid over there takes a lot of time and effort. Can you blame me?"

"Yes I can; you are already breaking a lot of rules, including trivializing your Reaper duties, unauthorized use of your Death Scythe, and most importantly, active contact with a demon. Any other Grim Reaper would have been in serious trouble. Why would you accept a job like that in the first place?"

"I don't know. Maybe they made me feel special at a time when I was alone or maybe something else. All I know is that I actually _do_ like working there and I'm not going to quit," she barked back. She noticed his change in expression and continued, "Besides, I've been able to manage two jobs at once."

Will frowned, but sighed in annoyance. "If you insist, but if you continue to be late, you might be out of job here before you know it," he said before handing her some files. "Here are your assignments for tonight. I expect you to complete them before dawn, do you understand?"

"Yes sir," she said with a smile.

He was about to leave her side, but he just remembered something and asked, "Oh, before I forget: have you seen Grell Sutcliff lately?"

"No, I haven't, but why would you want him, or her or whatever the fuck he is? It's actually been quiet around here lately!"

"Although I do enjoy the quietness, he hasn't shown up to work for a while and that is against the rules. If you do see him, tell him to meet with me immediately."

"Will do," she said with a two finger salute. Once he walked away, she said under her breath, "But I _do_ enjoy not having him around. He can stay away as long as he wants."


	2. The Strongest Urge

The sun wasn't even up yet when Sebastian came into Lilliana's room to wake her up. This became a normal occurrence since she would remain asleep until the afternoon if he didn't wake her. Her late shifts barely gave her any time to sleep and whenever she had the chance to sleep; it wasn't easy to wake up. She was still wearing her Reaper uniform, which meant she must have fallen asleep for only an hour or two. She didn't even have a blanket to cover herself. Her back was facing the ceiling and her face was covered by either her pillow or her messy hair. "Ms. Kiliamo, it's time to wake up," Sebastian said as he gently shook her. However, she didn't move. He shook her again a little more violently, but she still didn't stir. He shook her one final time, but this time, he accidentally pushed her off the bed and she fell to the floor, but she still didn't wake up. "Sheesh, she must be dead asleep," he said before chucking at the thought. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his last resort: smelling salts. He then placed them by her nose and after a while, she finally stirred and her eyes opened.

"Ugh," she said before noticing that she was on the floor. "H-How did I get on the floor?"

"I apologize, but I pushed you off the bed by mistake. You are a heavy sleeper."

"You could have at least put me back on the bed," she said before stretching her body. She could hear her body crack from the stiffness.

"Well, now it's time to get up. The other servants will be awake soon. Unless you would like me to stay and help you change," he said with a teasing smile.

"Very funny, Sebastian, but I can change by myself, thank you," she said as she pushed him out and closed the door.

* * *

"Damn rats again. Bloody hell," Baldroy said as he saw a wire chewed up to the point it couldn't be salvaged. The three servants were on rat duty today by Sebastian's order and have been hunting those vermin all day. "This is getting ridiculous. I heard they were plaguing London, but I didn't think they would reach us this far away from the city." Suddenly, a little rat scurried in front of them and they screamed their heads off.

"Don't worry, I'll get the rat," Finnian said as he lifted a heavy bust with its column and threw it toward the rat, but also at his friends. They all ran away to save their lives as the bust hit the ground, causing a mini earthquake within the manor. "Oops, he got away."

"What the hell were you trying to do?! Kill us?!"

Lilliana walked into the hall to investigate the sudden loud noise and her eyes widened with such a mess they made. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Oh, sorry, Lilliana; we saw a rat and Finny tried to kill it," Mey-Rin said, almost terrified that she suddenly walked in without any warning.

She sighed. "We need to clean this us before the master sees," she said with disappointment. They had one job, but they still made a huge mess. Once they finished the clean-up, Lilliana was about to go back to serving Ciel while he and some guests were playing pool, but she heard them all scream again. She turned and saw the three of them chase another rat down the hallway.

"I see you are handling them quite well," a low voice said from behind her. She turned around quickly, but exhaled in relief when she saw that familiar smirk.

"Well, I just hope they don't burn down the manor while catching those damn rats," she said. She noticed him carrying a tray with a few tea cups and a teapot full of tea.

"Let's hope so. Most of the guests have left, but some have stayed. Would you mind accompanying me into the drawing room," he said. She nodded her head and they headed to the room where Ciel, Lau, Ran-Mao, and Madame Red awaited their afternoon tea. As he said before, the other guests had left after the pool game finished. Sebastian poured the tea into the cups while Lilliana served them to the dear guests. "Today's tea is a Darjeeling from Fortnum & Mason," Sebastian said.

"It's smells delicious. Tea can be exceptional when it is well brewed," Lau said with his female companion on his lap. She was told that they were brother and sister, but not by blood. However, the way she was dressed and how she sat in his lap made her very uncomfortable.

As she was waiting for the last cup, she noticed a servant who was staring at Sebastian with adoration in his eyes. He had dark brown hair, but was held back by a red ribbon. He had black spectacles with a slim frame and he was wearing a butler outfit, but he wasn't a Phantomhive butler. "Grell," Madame Red called. What was his name again?

"Y-Yes my lady," he asked as if he was free from a spell.

"Learn something from Sebastian and Lilliana."

"Y-Yes, my lady," he said, as if insulted by what she just said, but didn't have the courage to say anything.

"Besides, you're a fine-looking man, aren't you," she said as she grabbed Sebastian's buttocks. Everyone looked in embarrassment as this happened and no one was more embarrassed than Sebastian. Lilliana and Grell's mouths opened wide at the sight. "Quit serving in this little country home and work for me in the city."

Ciel cleared his throat and warned, "Madame Red."

"Oh, sorry, Ciel, I just couldn't help myself. He looked like he needed . . . a physical. That's what doctors do, after all," she said. Sebastian quickly set the teapot down on the table and quickly walked to Lilliana with the reddest face she has ever seen on him. She chuckled at the sight, but even though he gave her a cold stare, she just smiled.

After a while, they finished their tea and Lau asked, "So, you believe the drug trafficker was one of your guests today, my lord?"

"Perhaps, but I don't know for sure," Ciel answered.

"You know you could leave this to Lau, right? After all, a rat knows best where the rats' nest is," Madame Red suggested.

"Ah, but I am no rat. I am a tamed guinea pig. If the earl orders me not to, I won't do anything uncalled-for," he said as he got up and put his hand on the young lord's head.

Suddenly, Madame Red got up and quickly snatched him away from him. "Watch it, you! Keep your paws off of my darling nephew," she yelled.

"Ah, Madame, you wound me. I wouldn't hurt him in his own home," he said.

"Are you saying you would elsewhere?!" "The two engaged in an argument, but Ciel left in the middle of their argument for some presumable peace and quiet. Sebastian quickly followed his young master, but Lilliana stayed in the room with the still arguing duo. She then looked at Grell who was noticeably nervous, but she couldn't pin down why. However, he did remind her of someone, but by name only. Otherwise, he was nothing like the flirt she usually had to deal with at work.

She extended her hand and greeted, "Hello, I'm Lilliana Kiliamo. You serve Madame Red, correct?"

"Y-Yes I do. So, you're the Lilliana I've been hearing about," he said as he weakly shook her hand.

"I guess so, but where did you hear me from, exactly," she asked curiously.

"Oh, you know, Madame Red and some . . . friends . . . of ours, _I mean_ , mine," he said, but a little frantically at the end.

"Hmm, I guess word goes around fast," she said as she saw that Lau and Madame Red were finally done arguing. They left the room in a huff, leaving the two of them to clean up the cups left behind.

* * *

"Master, I have your afternoon tea and pie ready for you," Sebastian said as he knocked on the door to the study. Lilliana accompanied him since the other servants were still on rat duty. When he received no answer, he opened the door, but the room was a total wreck with paper flying everywhere and the window wide open. The two of them looked in shock at the sight and one thing was on Sebastian's 'mind. "This is terrible! The tea will go to waste."

"Are you serious? That's what you're thinking about right now?! Something happened to Ciel and you are more worried about the tea," she said with disbelief in her voice.

He chuckled. "I'm not worried about him; he can take care of himself." At that statement, she sighed, but then smiled. Ciel will never be in harm's way as long as Sebastian was around.

"Well, I guess I'll change into my uniform. I'm sure my services will be needed," she said as she left the room and started to undo her bun. He watched as her black hair rolled down her back like water off a duck's back. He always thought she looked better like that and the uniform only helped her image.

She quickly went into her room and changed into her Reaper outfit. She looked into the mirror and made sure that everything was right. This was the first time she was in her Reaper outfit hours before her shift started and for some reason, it felt right. She put on her spectacles and thought over again why she had to wear them. She didn't really need them, so why wear them every time she went to work? She thought about it and concluded that she might as well to break fewer rules, even if she was a Rogue Reaper. She was about to pick up her Death Scythe, but she heard what seemed to be a gunshot somewhere in the manor. She quickly grabbed it as she ran toward the noise and saw a group of people surrounding a broken window with glass shards all over the floor and a broken urn that was shattered into a million pieces and ashes surrounding it. When they all saw her walk in, they almost didn't recognize her. "What happened here," she asked.

They all murmured, trying to figure out who she was until Sebastian said, "Nothing's wrong, Lilliana." The three servants' eyes widened by the sudden discovery and Sebastian handed her the letter he received so she quickly scanned it.

"That's definitely her. I wasn't sure at first, but that's her," Grell whispered in Madame Red's ear, but it was slightly audible to Lilliana. Madame Red's eyes widened by what he said, but she only smiled.

"I'm sorry, but we have business to attend to. Would you mind cleaning this up," he said as he and Lilliana walked toward the servants and handed them the pie he prepared for Ciel.

"By 'clean up', you mean 'eat', right," Baldroy asked with a smile on his face, but he saw that the duo disappeared without a trace.

The two of them ran as fast as they could to a car that two assassins were driving in. The two deities quickly caught up to the car and the two men were in absolute terror. The man with the telephone yelled at the driver to speed up to lose the inhuman duo chasing them, but they were too slow. Eventually, the car reached a cliff, but the driver slammed on the brakes to avoid sudden death. However, they finally caught up to them and at first, the assassins seemed unimpressed by the two people chasing them until Sebastian effortlessly pushed the car pass the cliff's edge and jumped right in top of the hood, causing it to bend a little, to balance the weight. She just watched since she knew exactly what would happen next. "Would you mind if I borrow your telephone for a moment," Sebastian asked. The two men were in so much fear that they reluctantly handed him the phone.

"Hey, if you don't answer me right now, I swear, I'll kill you mongrels," an Italian voice on the telephone yelled.

"Hello. I represent the Phantomhive estate. Would my master happen to be with you by any chance?" There was silence on the other line since his kidnapper was in utter terror that someone as worthless as butler could somehow have taken care of his professionally trained assassins. The only sound uttered was a woof from Ciel. "Very good, my lord; I'll be there to pick you up momentarily."

"Thank you gentlemen for letting him use your phone," she said with villainy in her voice. "However, we have some questions for you. Who is your boss?" The men were silent. "Hurry up now. I'm not what people call 'patient'," she said as she pulled out her Death Scythe.

"He's Azzurro Vasnel of the Ferro family," one man finally confessed. He didn't want to die today, so he might as well tell them everything to save his own life. "He has a hideout in the northern East End! We only work for him!"

"Thank you gentlemen and I'm sorry to have stopped you. Please be on your way and have a safe trip," Sebastian said as tossed the telephone at them and jumped off the hood. The car's weight was unbalanced and the car, along with the two men, fell to the ground below, causing a massive explosion. "Oh my, look at the time," he said as he pulled out his silver pocket watch. "If we don't hurry, we'll be late for dinner."

"You have trouble prioritizing things, don't you," Lilliana teased. She then jumped off the cliff to the scene down below. She landed on her feet like an agile cat and saw the carnage that Sebastian caused. Trees were blown out of the ground and they were all blackened by the ashes. Some areas were on fire and car parts and limbs were scattered all over the place. She breathed in the air and could smell the blood that was around her. She smiled as her eyes turned blood red, but she fought the urge to do anything stupid. She was breaking enough rules already.

"What are you doing," a stern voice said. She looked behind her and saw Will with his pruner-like Death Scythe in his hand. He saw that her eyes were a deep shade of red and asked, "You're not going to do what I think you're going to do, right?"

"Why can't you trust me? It's been one hundred years, Will! Why can't you let it go?"

"The last time I saw your eyes like that, you couldn't control yourself." He pushed his glasses up and then continued, "Why are you working now? You don't need to work for another two hours."

"Can't a girl get a head start?"

"I guess you could, but you also didn't stop a demon from killing those two men," he said with anger in his voice. "You know the rules. We are to prevent those filthy things from devouring souls or turning them into one of them."

"Did you call them 'filthy things'," she asked with her Death Scythe ready in her hands. "They aren't filthy! They just live by a different set of rules!"

"I know your brother is one of those things, but that doesn't excuse you for helping a demon fulfill his desires. They like to use humans and Grim Reapers and I don't want you to fall victim to their trap."

"I can take care of myself," she said with anger in her eyes.

"So you say, but for now, you will report all the people that demon kills and if there is one soul missing, whether from him or you, I will send you back to rehabilitation," he said. Her angry expression soon turned to fear at the thought of rehabilitation. Anything but that, she thought.

"I will, starting with these two," she said as she lowered her Death Scythe.

After a while, she finally arrived to the hideout that the two ratted out and saw a sea of dead bodies outside. She smiled, knowing exactly what happened and started to collect the souls. She looked at their Cinematic Records and saw they all lived less than desirable lives, but none of them deserved a second chance. She added their names on her list and then entered the dining room, where even more dead bodies were found. Her eyes stayed red as her bloodlust grew stronger, but she fought back the urge. "Remember what William said! If there are any souls missing, he'll send me back to rehabilitation," she said to herself, shuddering at the thought. She started to gather data for her report, but her bloodlust was apparent when she saw the forks and knives lodged into some of the bodies. "He does have an interesting choice of weapons, doesn't he," she said to herself with a chuckle to follow. She looked around, pulled out a knife from a body, and licked the blood off it until it was clean. "I may not be able to taste a soul again, but I can at least taste blood." Unknown to her, one of the assassins was still barely alive and had a loaded gun in his hands. He cocked the gun and then shot it toward her, but before she could react, she heard something move in front of her. She looked and saw an ungloved hand catching the bullet for her. It had the mark of the covenant on it and she knew whose hand it was. She followed the arm and saw Sebastian's demon eyes looking right at her.

"Are you all right," he asked.

"You know that bullets won't kill me, right?"

"Of course, I should know," he said as he showed her the open wounds on his body from the bullets he suffers from earlier. His tailcoat was shredded beyond repair by the rain of bullets he had to endure. He noticed her eyes were blood red and her lips were stained by the blood on the knife. "I didn't know your eyes could change color."

"Um, well, they're not suppose to," she said rather fast as she nervously handed him the knife. "But I guess it's just habit." She saw that he had a sleeping Ciel in his other arm and he looked beaten with blood running down his nose. However, instead of sympathy, she felt . . . hungry.

He noticed her behavior and asked, "Are you sure you're all right? You're acting strange."

After hearing his statement, she regained her composure and said, "Sorry. I'm fine."

He eyed her suspiciously as he said, "I'm pretty sure that Reapers are not supposed to act like that. You're acting more demon than-,"

"Can we not talk about this now? I have some work to do," she said as she continued to collect the souls.

"Of course," he said as he left her side with Ciel in his arms. He looked one more time at her before he left to return his master and thought that her new behavior actually did in a way . . . get him excited. He wanted to see more of this devilish Reaper in more ways than one.

* * *

Lilliana's shift ended some hours before the sun rose because of the work she did earlier today. Just as she was ordered, she gave Will the report of about a hundred souls collected and he surprisingly gave her the rest of the night off. She immediately headed for her room, but when she opened the door, she noticed that Sebastian was on her bed, sleeping. He didn't wear his usual tuxedo, but was instead wearing a white shirt with hints of red from where the bullets penetrated his body. She was dumbfounded by the surprise, but she remained as quiet as possible as she set down her Death Scythe. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him up, but she didn't know why he was there in the first place. Regardless, she carefully took off her clothes and put on her nightgown, but before she could slip it on, she heard a voice say, "You're home earlier than expected."

She quickly slid on her nightgown and looked back with a red face. "What the fuck . . . You pervert . . . Were you watching me this whole time?"

"Maybe," he said with a perverse grin. "But I wanted to talk to you."

"There's nothing to talk about! Just get out," she said, now pushing him off her bed.

"You had me worried back there. Your eyes were red and you just seemed . . . hungry."

She looked away, especially since he sat up on the bed and his blood was visible. Her eyes turned red once again and she reluctantly walked to the bed, but when she regained her composure, she walked back. "Shit! Why can't I control myself when blood is around?"

"You are a Grim Reaper, right," he asked. She nodded, but it wasn't a confident nod. "Then why do you act like a demon?"

She sighed and sat on the bed next to him. "My brother is a demon." His eyes widened with surprise, but he was intrigued that even though he knew her better that anyone else, she still had some secrets. "When I was young, he taught me everything he knew, even though he knew I wasn't a demon. Regardless, he taught me how to devour souls and created my bloodlust, but after some Reapers found me, they took me away from him and rehabilitated me, saying everything I did was against every rule in the book. They forced me to think that demons were evil and to this day, I can't forgive them for that! Demons aren't evil," she said as tears began to fill her eyes and slowly fell down her cheek.

He placed his arms around her and said, "It's all right, Lilliana, but is that why you accepted the job? You just wanted to be away from those Reapers?"

She wiped her tears away and said, "Yes. They treated me so poorly during rehabilitation and even after all that, no one trusts me. They all just see me as a Rogue Reaper."

"Well, I assure you that I won't hold you back from the deity you want to be, Reaper or demon."

"But I'm not a demon," she said while looking into his crimson eyes. There was something comforting about them that calmed her, even managing to make her red eyes turn back to olive green.

"But you act like one sometimes," he said as he started to remove his shirt. Her eyes widened with surprise and her cheeks turned a shade of red, but the blood forced her eyes to turn back to red. "Go ahead and do what you want."

"Are you sure," she asked. He nodded and she scooted closer to him. She put a finger around an open wound, making him wince in pain. She got some of his blood on her finger and licked it. She exhaled in delight as she gave him a wicked grin. She suddenly licked the wounds on his chest, making him moan with both pain and pleasure and she made sure that there wasn't a single drop left on him. When she was done, her lips were stained red and her eyes turned back to bright green. It did help her to satisfy the bloodlust and this time, she didn't have to secretive with it. "You know, demon blood tastes different than human blood."

"I'm sure it does," he said with a smirk.

"But I think you should leave now before anyone notices you're here," he said as she gave him back his shirt.

"No one will be awake until the sun rises. We have time to . . . fool around," he said with a mischievous tone.

"As intriguing as it sounds, I still think it would be wise for the both of us to just stop right here before anything gets out of hand," she said.

He sighed, but said, "Fine, have it your way, but the next time, it won't be so easy." He got up from the bed, put on his shirt, and headed for the door. He did expect her to at least try something, especially when her demon-like behavior turned him on. Still, he was fortunate enough for her to lick his wounds clean. He exited the room and right before he closed the door, he said, "Good night, Lilliana."

"Good night, Sebastian," she responded. He shut the door and she fell onto her bed. What just happened right now? Was it a dream or did it really happen? Regardless, she rested her head on the pillow and drifted into sleep, thinking of all the chores she had to do tomorrow.


	3. Omnipotent Desires

"Noooooooooo!" The five servants and Ciel were in the dining room when they heard a loud yell and the sound of rolling wheels heading their way. Sure enough, it was Grell holding on for dear life on a runaway cart as it entered the room and headed for the servants. Everyone jumped out of the way as the cart finally crashed into the wall. However, a cup of hot tea spilled on Finnian and he started yelling with pain. "Oh, I-I'm sorry! I-I'll clean it up right away," he said as he tried to grab a napkin off the table, but instead, he grabbed the entire tablecloth and started to pull it, spilling the food onto the floor in the process. He looked in horror as he realized his latest mistake.

Ciel, Sebastian, and Lilliana sighed simultaneously. "Young master, why did you hire this incompetent servant," Lilliana asked.

"Madame Red wanted us to train him to be an efficient butler, just like Sebastian. I thought the only person that would be inconvenienced was him, but apparently, I was wrong," Ciel answered. She then looked at Grell, still convinced she knew him from somewhere, but she couldn't figure out where. Can it be more than a coincidence that he and a Reaper she knew have the same name? Though, he has been away from work for a while and even Will doesn't know where he is. He had green eyes, almost like a Grim Reaper's, but she has seen some humans with the same green eyes.

"I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble for you," Grell apologized to the angry servants. For once, they knew how Sebastian felt when they made a mess. "I know! I will kill myself and atone for my mistakes with my death!" He grabbed a knife and aimed it for his throat, but the servants were terrified that he might actually stab himself.

"Hey, hold on a second! Don't do anything rash," Baldroy yelled, trying to save his life.

However, Grell stopped himself as he felt a hand on his shoulder and not just any hand. "There is no need for you to die. If blood sprayed everywhere, the room will be that much harder to clean," Sebastian said with an unusually warm smile.

"Thank you, Sebastian. You are so kind," Grell said with complete adoration in his eyes. The three servants looked at each other, debating whether what he did was out of kindness or just to avoid any further cleaning.

"However, I'm afraid you can't serve the master such a fragrance-less and weak tea," Lilliana said as she examined the tea Grell had made. Even though she didn't serve him often, she knew how picky Ciel was when it came to his tea. She later found an unused teapot while Sebastian gathered the ingredients and they both taught Grell the proper method. "First, you put a scoop of tea leaves for each person you are serving and one more for the teapot. Then, you add a half-pint of boiling water and wait for it steam," she said as she flipped the little hourglass and watched the sand slowly fall to the bottom.

"Young master, it's almost time for us to leave," Sebastian said as he looked at his silver pocket watch. "I want you five to make sure that this place is absolutely spotless, understand? Grell, you should sit and rest so you can't cause any unnecessary trouble and if you _do_ decide to rest eternally, please do so outside. It would make less of mess that way," he teased.

"Sebastian, you're so kind," he repeated. Lilliana raised her eyebrow as she noticed that he was still in adoration toward Sebastian; maybe a little too much. Regardless, she just shrugged as Sebastian came toward her.

"I want you to train Grell, that is, if he does decide to work today," he ordered, causing Grell's eyes to widen with surprise. He then whispered, "He's not going to die today, is he?"

"If he was, I would have received the file last night. He's good for today," she whispered back with a smile.

"All right, and if you're wrong, please try to control yourself around his blood," he said, causing her to angrily blush a bit. He then left her side with a teasing smirk and left with Ciel to go to town for a walking stick.

* * *

Lilliana tried to keep her sanity as she tried to train Grell to be a Phantomhive butler, but he seemed to mess things up worse than the trio did, which she thought was impossible. She had him perform various tasks, like cooking, cleaning, and now, trimming the hedges. Cooking led to a fire that would have burned down the whole kitchen if Lilliana didn't have buckets of water on standby due to the latest flamethrower incident. Cleaning only led to more messes that both she and Mey-Rin had to clean up. Now, he was trimming the hedges while she started to make lunch for the other servants. Lucky for her, the other servants volunteered to watch him and make sure he didn't do anything stupid . . . again.

Grell started admiring the manor and said, "Who knew that such a beautiful manor could belong to just a young boy. Not only that, but a boy who owns a very successful company! Ah, I hope I can stay here for a long time."

"You know, it's only been two years since it was built," Baldroy stated.

"Oh, really? It's looks so dignified."

"Of course, it's only natural for a Phantomhive estate," Tanaka explained. "This manor was built to be an exact replica of the previous one."

"The previous one," Grell asked.

"Unfortunately, the original Phantomhive manor burned to the ground about three years ago. The flames engulfed the entire manor and left nothing, but ashes."

"Forgive me for asking, but did Master Ciel's parents, um," Grell started to say, but was slightly uncomfortable to continue.

"Sadly, they both perished in the fire."

"That's . . . awful. How terrible for the poor boy," Grell said hesitantly as he absentmindedly trimmed the hedges, but once he was done, they all finally noticed something off. Each hedge that he trimmed, which was a lot, was in the shape of a skull.

"What the fuck is going on here," a voice said. They all turned and saw Lilliana drop the tray of food for the servants, but luckily, she caught it with her foot, preventing anything from spilling. "I thought you guys were going to handle it?!"

"We're sorry, Lilliana," the three of them apologized.

"I've made yet another unacceptable mistake and caused you all trouble! I'll atone for my sins with my death," he said as he put a noose around his neck and tried to hang himself, but the five of them tried to stop him.

"For once, could you not try to kill yourself for the littlest thing," she yelled with annoyance.

"But I have to! If I don't, it will be stain on my honor," he yelled, but an unknown arm pulled the ladder from below his feet and sent him hanging from the tree.

"Grell!"

* * *

The carriage pulled up in front of the Phantomhive manor and Sebastian opened the door for his young master, but they were in horror as they saw that the entire was decorated to, in a lack of a better term, cute. It was as if a little girl decorated the manor with bows, teddy bears, pink streamers, and countless other girly things that Ciel despised. "What the hell?! What happened to my mansion," Ciel yelled.

"Sebastian," the three servants yelled as they rushed toward their all-knowing mentor, but to his surprise, they were all dressed in outfits that a girl would put on to play dress-up and they were all clearly unhappy by this.

"What is going on here and why on earth are you three dressed like lunatics," he asked, trying to piece together what was going on.

"Ask that crazy girl," Baldroy yelled as he pointed to a room by the main hall.

"Crazy girl," Ciel repeated as he, Sebastian, and the servants entered the room and saw Grell hanging by a noose from the ceiling, but he wasn't dying. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Can't you see I'm in the process of dying, Master Ciel," he responded in a raspy voice.

Ciel sighed. "Sebastian, get him down."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said as he grabbed the ladder to let the servant down, but he finally noticed something off. "I thought I told Lilliana to watch you. Where is she?"

"She was a little . . . preoccupied," Grell said, relieved that his knight in shining armor saved him.

Suddenly, a little blonde girl with makeup in her hands chased Lilliana into the room. Lilliana was wearing a puffy pink dress, but no shoes on, which looked rather silly at first. Her hair was half in a bun and half down. "Get that stuff the hell away from me," she yelled, jumping over furniture to avoid the young girl. Out of everything in the world, she absolutely hated dressing up or looking girly. The only thing close to being girly was the maid outfit, but it wasn't _too_ bad.

"C'mon! You'll look soooooo cute," a high-pitched voice said; a voice all too familiar to Ciel. After some time, the girl noticed Ciel and instantly ran to him, leaving the makeup on a table and then hugging him, relieving Lilliana. "Ciel, I missed you!"

"Elizabeth," Ciel said in surprise. He did not expect to see her today, if not ever.

"Oh, silly, how many times do I have to tell you that you can call me 'Lizzie'? Oh, every time I see you, you get cuter," Lizzie said as she hugged him tighter.

"Welcome, Lady Elizabeth," Sebastian greeted as he finally set Grell on the floor.

"Hello, Sebastian! How are you . . . Why did you take him down? I made a cute decoration out of him," she said in a sad tone, surprising everyone with her unusual statement. "So, Ciel, how do like my decorating?"

"My . . . mansion . . . it's," Ciel tried to say, but nothing could come out, or nothing that wouldn't insult Lizzie.

"Only cute things can exist in this mansion! Oh, Sebastian, I have a present for you too," she said as she placed a pink bonnet on his head. The other servants, especially Lilliana, laughed at the butler that always wore black now wearing something pink. While the three servants tried to hold in their giggles, Lilliana laughed the loudest, knowing how humiliating it was for a demon like him to wear such a . . . cute thing. He only gave her a cold stare, but she couldn't care less.

"I'm deeply honored that you went through so much trouble for my humble self. Your generosity overwhelms me," Sebastian said with a bow.

"So, Lizzie, what are you doing here? Where's Auntie," Ciel asked as politely as he could.

"Oh, well, I snuck away just to see you," she said as she hugged him yet again.

"Snuck away?! What were you thinking? You could get in serious trouble!"

"Um, Sebastian, who is this girl," Grell asked, now coming to his senses.

"She is the daughter of Marquess of Scotney: Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford. She is my young master's betrothed," Sebastian answered.

"His betrothed," all the servants, excluding Lilliana, asked for clarification. This was the first time they heard this news.

"Well, noblemen must marry noble ladies, obviously," Lilliana explained.

"Ciel, I was thinking that since the mansion is all nice and pretty now, we should have a ball tonight! Yeah, and I'll have my beloved fiancé dancing with me all night," Lizzie said with a smile.

"Wait, what," Ciel said in confusion, but he was ignored.

"You must wear the outfit I picked for you! You'll look so cute and I must dress to the nines as well! Ah, dancing with my fiancé will be a dream come true!" She then looked at Grell and Lilliana and said, "I have to make you two cuter than you already are!" She grabbed Grell by the noose still around his neck and pulled him towards her. At the same time, he grabbed Lilliana's hand and he pulled her along with him. She looked at Sebastian, hoping he would help, but he only smiled, probably the same smile she gave him earlier. That bastard, she thought before she was finally pulled out the room.

* * *

"This is so humiliating," Lilliana said in an angry tone as Lizzie was finally putting on red lipstick on her. She just finished her makeup, despite her protests, since she was no longer fighting her. She now had her hair back into a pink ribbon, wore pink closed-toe heels, and even wore a borrowed necklace on with a diamond heart charm on it. Everyone, excluding Ciel and Sebastian, were waiting in the main hall for the ball to begin, if there even was a ball. The other four servants, including Tanaka, wore new outfits chosen by Lizzie, but instead of showing embarrassment, which they clearly were, they showed content so they wouldn't upset the young lady.

"You're telling me. This white color doesn't look good on me at all! It's so plain, girly, and frilly. If I had to dress up, why can't I wear a sexy shade of red with a waistline that will flatter my figure," Grell complained about his admittedly beautiful white dress.

"You're a man in a dress and the biggest problem is that it's not red?!"

"I can't live in a shame as deep as this! I'd rather die," Grell said as opened the window to jump out, but at this point, the servants were tired of his suicide attempts and didn't bother to stop him. "So, no one is going to stop me this time?"

"Nope," Lilliana coldly said. He looked away from her to avoid her angry green eyes . . . or were they red?

"Oh, I know Ciel will look great in blue," Lizzie said as Mey-Rin fixed the dress Lizzie wore. "Okay, now it's your turn to be cute." She tried to remove Mey-Rin glasses, but she quickly pulled away, making sure that she was holding on to them with her life.

"No! I'm extremely far-sighted and I can't see anything without them!"

"Oh, c'mon; I bet your eyes look lovely. Besides, you don't need to see to have fun," she said as she fought her to take them off.

"Please leave her be," Ciel's voice said from upstairs. They all looked up and sure enough, he was wearing all blue, just as she said.

"Ciel, you are so adorable! That outfit is absolutely perfect," she said as she gave him (guess what) . . . _another hug_. She then noticed the ring on his thumb and angrily asked, "Why aren't you wearing the ring I bought you? It matches your outfit perfectly."

"This ring is fine," Ciel said.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I went through so much trouble to make everything cute, but that ring isn't cute at all! You're so cruel," she said as she tried holding back tears.

"This isn't just a ring. It's-," he tried to say, but was interrupted by a swift hand motion on Lizzie's part.

"I got it," she yelled as she grabbed the ring off of his thumb. "This ring is way too big on you. The one I bought is perfectly sized!"

"Elizabeth, give that back to me this instant," Ciel yelled firmly as he extended a hand for her to return the ring.

"Why are you so angry? I only wanted to make you cute. I hate this ring," she said as she lifted her arm into the air and then threw the ring to the floor, breaking it in the process. Ciel's face grew angry as he rushed to slap her, but Sebastian held his hand back.

"Young master, you almost forgot about the walking stick that we went through all that trouble to get," he said as he placed the walking in Ciel's hand. Ciel was surprised by the gesture, but it made him calm down. Sebastian then turned to the crying Lizzie and explained, "Excuse us, Lady Elizabeth, but that ring was important to him. It is a one-of-a-kind heirloom that has been passed down to the heads of the Phantomhive family for generations. Please forgive my master's rudeness."

Lizzie's face now expressed guilt as she looked at the broken ring on the floor. "It was that important to him and I . . . I broke it. Ciel, I'm . . . ," she said weakly. Ciel grabbed the ring, walked toward the open window, and threw the ring outside. "Ciel, why would you do that?"

"It doesn't matter; it was just an old ring. Even without it, I'm still the head of the Phantomhives," he said with pride. Then, he turned toward Lizzie, who was still crying. "How long are you going to cry?" She looked up with guilt in her eyes, but Ciel took out a handkerchief and wiped her face. "Your face is a mess and you call yourself a lady. I wouldn't ask a girl with such a messy face to dance. The rule of a ball is to forget all of the unpleasant events and dance the night away, right, my lady," he offered. Lizzie's eyes widened with surprise, but she smiled and took his outstretched hand. In the background, they could hear Sebastian playing the violin with so much beauty and talent, amazing everyone that heard it.

"He plays so wonderfully," Mey-Rin said with amazement.

"Is there anything he can't do," Finny said with awe.

"Oh, I'll join him," Grell said as he ran toward Sebastian and began singing. They were all shocked since the butler that literally couldn't do anything right could actually sing pretty well. She looked at Sebastian, who was still playing his violin, but he signaled with his head for her to come to him. She did as she was told and climbed the stairs to where he was at, unknowingly receiving jealous eyes from Grell.

As she got closer, he said, "You look quite ravishing," he said.

"Shut up! This is so embarrassing! Reapers aren't supposed to be 'cute'," she said coldly, but it forced a smile on his face. "Though, it was funny to see you in that pink bonnet."

He scoffed as he said, "At least I wore it with dignity. It is quite unladylike to run around the manor and jumping over furniture with no shoes on merely to avoid a little girl with makeup in her hands."

She sighed with defeat. "I guess you're right, but you and I both know I'm not a lady; I'm a Reaper."

He laughed. "And I'm simply one hell of a butler."

* * *

The two children danced for hours until she grew tired and fell asleep on a sofa, dreaming of her wonderful night with her fiancé. Lilliana carefully placed her in a carriage since they thought it was best if she went home instead of staying in the Phantomhive manor. "I'll take responsibility for escorting Lady Elizabeth home. You can count on me," Grell said as he climbed on top of the carriage.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right," Lilliana asked.

"Yes. Sebastian taught me everything that I needed to become a true butler. After all, I'm more _deadly_ efficient than I appear," he said with a smile, but Lilliana's eyes widened. This can't be just a coincidence that he said that. He really couldn't be him, could he? "They say that when a person dies, they see their life flash before their eyes and I know that when the time comes, this evening will be what I see!"

"Lilliana, I need you to do something," Sebastian said into her ear, making her jump a bit. Grell whipped the reins of the carriage and drove off into the night, leaving the Ciel and the servants to walk back inside, except Lilliana and Sebastian. "I need you to remain in that outfit for a little while."

"Wait, why," she asked with surprise. She planned to get out of the outfit and right into her Reaper uniform, but now he wanted her to stay in it for a little longer?

"I'm going to put the young master to sleep and right after that, I want to see you. Would you mind being a little late for your Reaper duties?"

"What did you have in mind," she asked with a perverse smile.

"You'll just have to wait," he said as he walked in and she followed. He walked to Ciel's room while she went into hers. She was excited to know what he had in mind. She had an idea, but she didn't want to be disappointed if it wasn't that. All she knew was that he wanted her to stay in this outfit for a little longer. A _little_ longer. Oh, the anxiety was killing her, but he told her to wait for him.

Suddenly, she heard the window open and a voice saying, "Ms. Kiliamo."

She turned around and saw a younger Reaper with blonde hair calling her and black spectacles. "Ronald? What are you doing here?"

However, instead of answering her question, he looked at her with a shocked face. He has never seen this tomboy dress like a lady before and it intrigued him. "Lilliana, is that really you?"

She sighed with anger. "Yes, but I'm already embarrassed as it is. What are you doing here," she asked, but she caught him staring at her. She cleared her throat and he snapped out of his stare.

"Sorry, but Will asked me to give you your files in advance."

"Why would he do that now?"

"I believe he said something about you wanting a 'head start'," he stated. She remembered what she said to Will at the car crash and only shrugged.

"All right, I'll change into my Reaper uniform right now and then-," she said, but was interrupted.

"I'm sorry, but he wants you to work as soon as you got the files. This is going to take all night."

"What? Changing will only take a few minutes," she protested.

"I'm sorry, but . . . my orders are to . . . get you started on soul collecting as soon as possible . . . so my shift can end," he said in a subtle lying tone, which she caught on to, but didn't say anything.

She sighed. "Fine," she said as she grabbed her Death Scythe and her spectacles and exited through her window.

* * *

"Why did he have to get me at the worst time," she said to herself as she looked at a dead bum's Cinematic Record. Overall, his life wasn't that bad. He had a loving family, but he lost them due to a drug addiction and now he died of an overdose. Still, it was dangerous for a woman dressed like her to be out here; not for her own protection, but for any man who lusted for her. She seemed like an ordinary, defenseless lady, but she could possibly kill them in a second. Her Reaper uniform worked so much better in the field than this goddamn dress. Whenever she jumped from roof to roof or down to the ground, she had to make sure that the dress didn't pull up and show her "goodies" (or at least, that's what _he_ called them) to the people below. That was the best perk of wearing pants to work. Once she was done, she pulled out the file and put a red stamp on it, saying "complete".

She pushed back her spectacles and said, "This is so boring. Why won't Will let me take on murdered souls? I've learned to control myself. . . I think. The only person that allows me to be near murdered victims is Grell Sutcliff!" Speaking of him, where has that bastard, or bitch, been all this time? The only hint she has is butler Grell's more than coincidental actions, but he didn't look or, thankfully, act like him. If that was truly Grell, he wouldn't play the role of a submissive butler. His personality is too flamboyant to play such a role. She thought about telling Will about it, but she didn't want to inform him until she was absolutely sure, but she might mention something anyway.

She jumped to the roof of a nearby building and looked at her next case. "Okay, so I have Ms. Juliana Francis who is going to die in about an hour of syphilis. She's going to die at-," she said before a gloved hand covered her mouth. Her muffled screams were accompanied by her wiggling body trying to get out of the grip, but it was too strong. She tried bringing her Death Scythe to her assailant, but he seemed to catch it before it could do any damage.

"I thought I told you to wait for me," that low voice said. She immediately turned around and her beating heart soon relaxed at the sight of Sebastian's eyes.

"Fuck, Sebastian. Don't fucking scare me like that! I could have done some serious damage to you," she said angrily.

"I don't think you could even if you tried," he teased. She then tried to strike him with her Death Scythe, but he caught it effortlessly, making him laugh. He then grabbed her hands and said, "But I'm glad to see that you kept your outfit on."

She blushed as she angrily said, "I-It wasn't my choice! William wanted me to work as soon as possible. He, or really Ronald, didn't even allow me to change."

"Well, at least you can work fashionably," he said with a teasing smile.

"S-Shut up!" He then proceeded to reach behind her head, making her pull back in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Just trust me," he said. He reached again and this time, she didn't flinch. He pulled on the bow that was still in her hair off and her hair came down to her face. "That's better," he said as he left her side and then jumped down the roof.

She blinked in shock. "Wait, what? That's it? You wanted me to stay in this goddamn outfit just so you can take off the fucking bow?"

"Did you want to do something else," a voice said by her ear. She quickly turned around and saw Sebastian right behind her.

"I told you not to do that," she said as she tried to slap him, but he grabbed her and pulled her towards him so that she fell into his arms. She looked up at him and the moonlight around him seemed to make him more . . . attractive. She blushed and quickly tried to get out of his grip, but he wouldn't let her go. "Let me go! I need to go back to work," she begged.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that," he said as he took off his glove with his teeth. With the hand that had the mark of the covenant, he placed it on her cheek. "You have intrigued me with your devilish behavior for the last couple of days. I've wanted to see more of that behavior . . . and tonight seemed like a good night. I only wanted you in this outfit so I could be the one to take it off of you."

"I'm sorry, but now is not a good-," she said, but was quickly silenced.

"It won't take long," he advertised and tried to lean in for a kiss, hoping it would excite her, but they heard a chainsaw revving followed by a feminine scream. They both stopped what they were doing and quickly ran toward the scene to find a body mutilated beyond recognition. The only clue to who this person couldn't be was the remnants of a dress. Normally, another Reaper would be there to collect her soul, but no one was around, which was unusual. The blood surrounding the body caused her eyes to turn red, but she desperately tried to control it. "Why don't you release those urges?"

"I . . . don't want to, okay," she said as she took her Death Scythe and crouched down to look at the Cinematic Record. After a while of looking, she realized that something was off. "Hm, that's odd."

"What's wrong?"

"She wasn't supposed to die tonight. Usually, there is an aura around the person's dying scene, but she doesn't have one. That can mean one thing: she was killed by a deity."

"A deity, you say? Who do you think could have done it?"

"Well, demons _do_ have a tendency for killing humans for no reason," she said, trying to be as polite as possible. "I should know."

He chuckled. "But I don't know any Rogue demons around the area. How do I know that any of your Reaper colleagues aren't to blame?"

"You and I both heard a chainsaw earlier. We, Reapers, don't have that kind of Death Scythe. Hell, Ronald barely gets away his lawnmower-shaped Death Scythe."

"Can you just see who did it with those . . . memories, or whatever they are," Sebastian said.

"They are called Cinematic Records, but that's the confusing part; I can't see who killed her. She must have been blindfolded or something right before she died."

"Hm, that is most troubling, but there's nothing we can do for now."

"Maybe we can," she said as she got up to face the demon. "I've heard recently that there is a killer that is targeting prostitutes and killing them beyond recognition. I think his name is Jack the Ripper."

"Interesting," he said as placed a finger on his chin. "But I'm afraid we aren't much help as of now. The killer at this point is far away from the crime scene."

"You're not going to track him down?"

"There is no need to. Unless my master instructs me to, I shall not do anything unnecessary."

"I suppose you're right, but I have to report this to Will as soon as possible. If there's a Rogue demon or Reaper running around, we need to keep our guard up," she said as she tried to leave, but was held back by Sebastian's strong grip on her.

"You _could_ do that _or_ we could do something more . . . exciting," he said with a wicked grin.

"As much as I would love to see what you'd do, I have to report this now. If I don't and someone else finds her, they will probably blame me."

He sighed in defeat. "Fine; the last thing I would want is for my little demon Reaper to be in trouble." He let her go and she went off on her way. He had a disappointed look on his face, but he noticed that she looked back and winked at him which put a smile on his face. "Oh well. I suppose it'll have to wait until next time."


	4. The Capricious Brother

"Why is she with that demon? Doesn't she realize what he's going to do to her if she falls for his spell?"

"That little slut is trying to steal my darling Bassy. I see how she tries to seduce him with those hideous eyes of hers and it's gotten so bad that I've thought about taking notes on her techniques."

"Once she is away from him, I promise you can have him all to yourself, but I want to make sure my little sister will be all right."

"My, I never seen a demon so worked up about a Reaper before. It's kind of . . . attractive."

"And I've never seen a Reaper fall head over heels for a demon . . . or two."

"Oh, Bassy and I are meant to be; it's written in the stars! That is, if you're still not taken. . . . However, I can't even get near him without her in the way! He always wants her with him wherever he goes even though he is more than capable to perform any task all by himself. I want her dead!"

"We will have nothing of the sort! She is my little sister and if anyone tries to hurt her, I will kill them!"

"Fine, fine, fine; I'll let the bitch live only if you take her away from Bassy. I bet underneath that tuxedo is a hunk of sexy meat! Oh, the thought of having him all to myself just gives me thrills!"

"Why did I get involved with such a promiscuous Reaper?"

"Hey, you said you needed a Reaper's touch in order to get close to her and I have done just that! As far as I know, she's too ditzy to realize our devious plan. Speaking of which, what do you plan on doing with her once they are apart."

"I'll take her somewhere far away from that damn Reaper Association that stole her away. I don't want the people that tortured her to have control over her anymore."

"I don't know where you'll go, but once she's gone, my scrumptious William will have every Reaper Association in this entire world after you two. As long as she's a Reaper, you can't just take her away."

"I'll find a way! Lily and I will be the happy family that we used to be!"

* * *

Lilliana, Sebastian, and Ciel rode in a carriage to the London townhouse to take a break from the noisy atmosphere they were usually surrounded by at the manor. Also, it was the season when English nobility migrate to the city for the English summer. During this time, huge parties would be thrown to celebrate . . . anything. Whether it was recent success, another year of success, or just anything, many nobles would throw huge balls to celebrate. As the trio entered the house, they noticed that a group of people were already there: Madame Red, Grell, and Lau. "For goodness sake; where do they keep the tea in this place," Madame Red said as she was looking through a cupboard.

"I can't find it here either," Lau said.

"Madame Red, Lau, what are you guys doing here," Ciel asked with utter shock on his face.

"Oh, Ciel, you're early. I guess that means that the Queen's guard dog is making a move," she said with a smile on her face. It was true; he was on a mission for the Queen to find a serial killer who has been killing prostitutes under the cover of night, but no one, not even Scotland Yard, has been has been able to stop him.

"While you're here, could you tell us where the tea is," Lau said with a wicked smile. Ciel sighed, but he directed them to the dining hall where Lilliana and Sebastian prepared tea and sweets.

"Another prostitute was gruesomely murdered in Whitechapel yesterday. These aren't ordinary murders, downright aberrant," Ciel explained to his guests.

"The killer must have been using a special weapon since the latest victim was torn apart beyond recognition," Sebastian explained. However, he looked at Lilliana, almost saying in his eyes, "We will tell him later."

"Scotland Yard and the press are calling this criminal Jack the Ripper due to his style of killing and I hurried to London to ascertain the situation."

Lau chuckled. "Do you even have the guts to see the crime scene? The sight will certainly be horrific with blood and gore everywhere and that bestial stench will saturate the air and eat away at those who share the same destiny. At just one glance, you may be consumed by madness. Are you prepared for that, my young lord Phantomhive?"

"Don't ask foolish questions," Ciel said as he sipped his tea. Lilliana looked at Grell, but he looked more nervous than ever. Why could that be? He couldn't even look at her straight in the eye. She signaled Sebastian and gestured for him to come out into the hallway.

He closed the door and asked, "What is it?"

"Have you been paying attention to Grell's body language? He seemed to be nervous while they were talking about the Jack the Ripper case. Do you think he could be the killer?"

"It's quite possible, but how could a man who can't even serve tea correctly perform such brutal murders and still not get caught?"

"Maybe it's a cover? I mean, I'm a maid during the day, but a Reaper at night. Maybe he's the same."

"I suppose we can keep a close eye on him in case he does exhibit signs that he is the murderer. Now let's get back before the master wonders what we're talking about." She nodded and they headed back in the room.

* * *

The six of them headed for Whitechapel, where Ciel and Sebastian proceeded toward the crime scene; the same one he and Lilliana examined last night. She stayed behind to not let her urges get in the way of their investigation, but the smell of blood was in the air, even at a far away distance, and it caused her eyes to turn light red anyway. She snuck away from the group and ran to a shop, but she was so concerned with her eyes that she didn't notice which shop she entered. It was a dark place, even with the windows shining light inside. There were coffins all over the place, which indicated that this place had to be a funeral parlor. "Interesting to see you here," a voice said.

She gasped in fright, but saw a man dressed in black with long gray hair covering his eyes looking toward her with a huge grin on his face. "God dammit, you scared me! My master is busy with the crime scene outside. I just can't be around it for obvious reasons," she said.

He giggled. "Oh, I know, Lilliana. Those urges of yours always got you into quite some trouble."

"I know, Undertaker, but I've been a lot better recently."

"That's because little Willy won't let you collect souls of murder victims." They both heard voices outside and she looked frantic. "Go hide in a coffin," he said playfully as he pointed to a coffin. She nodded and quickly climbed into one of the vacant coffins while he closed the lid on her just in time for someone to open the door.

"Are you here, Undertaker," Ciel's voice cried out.

"He he, I thought you'd drop by before long. It's so lovely to see you. Do I finally have the pleasure of fitting you for one of my special coffins today?"

"Certainly not, but I-,"

"No need to say; I know why you're here, Lord Phantomhive. My latest customer needed a lot of work, but I made her beautiful nonetheless," he said with a wicked smile.

"Ah, I see, so the funeral parlor is your cover business. How much do you want for the information," Lau said, but was quickly approached by a pale face.

"I have no desire for any of the Queen's coins," he said before turning his head to Ciel and quickly rushing toward him. "Please, my lord! Come on, give it to me! Give me prime laughter and I'll tell you anything!"

"Leave it to me," Lau said as all eyes fell on him. "Every calendar's days are numbered." He paused for comedic effect, expecting a roar of laughter, but none came. "Okay, tough crowd. How about this one: on which side of a tiger has the most stripes? On the outside! Ha-ha, get it?" Still nothing.

"Let me give a try. I live for gossip, so I'll tell you a special story that will make you laugh so hard that you die," Madame Red said before continuing. "So his ( _censored_ ) was flaccid, but when I ( _censored_ ), the ( _censored_ ) tip started bobbing like ( _censored_ )."

After listening to some unfunny jokes and stories, Undertaker said, "Now, my lord, it looks like you're the only one left. I gave you a special discount last time, but I won't do it again."

"My lord, you don't have to do anything if you don't want to. I'll make him laugh," Sebastian said.

"Are you sure," Ciel asked.

"If I couldn't tell a simple joke, then what kind of butler would I be," he said with a smile, but addressed everyone by saying, "Please wait outside and do not peek until I say so. No matter what happens, do not attempt to listen to what I have to say." Everyone did as they were told and after a while, he preceded with the joke. Once it was over, Undertaker laughed so hard that it caused a mini earthquake in the store. In fact, he wasn't the only one laughing; Lilliana, who was still in the coffin, laughed hard too. Sebastian noticed the feminine voice and headed toward the noise. Undertaker was laughing too hard to notice that Sebastian was lifting the lid to a coffin and inside, he saw Lilliana.

"Oh, um, hi," she said with a nervous smile.

"What are you doing here," he asked with concern.

"I was . . . catching some z's," she said playfully, but when he saw his face didn't change, she continued, "My eyes were turning red and I had to calm down my bloodlust. It's funny that you all had to come to _this_ parlor." He extended a hand to her and she took it to lift herself up. Undertaker was finally calming down and saw that he found her.

"I didn't kidnap her, I swear," he said.

"I know you didn't. I was wondering where she went," he said before he walked toward the door. He opened the door and, with a smile, he said, "Please come in. I believe he will tell us everything we need to know. Also, I found our missing member." They looked inside and saw Lilliana.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were gone," Madame Red as she embarrassedly put an arm behind her head and laughed nervously.

"Why did you leave us," Lau asked.

"Oh I was . . . um . . . I was chasing . . .-," she tried to say, but she couldn't think of anything. She looked at Sebastian and then an idea popped into her head. "I was chasing a cat!"

Their eyes widened in surprise, especially Sebastian's. "A cat, you say? Why on earth would you do that," Grell asked timidly. Ciel eyed her angrily since was allergic to cats and it didn't help that Sebastian seemed to have an obsession with those infernal creatures.

"It looked so cute! What else can I say?"

"Well, my darlings," Undertaker said, finally back to normal. "Thanks to Sebastian's hilarious joke, I will be more than willing to share with you what I know."

"Then go ahead," Ciel said cruelly.

"These days, I have been getting customers who were . . . incomplete."

"Incomplete," Lau asked.

"Well, my last customer was a mess, yes, but she wasn't the first one like that to come to my shop. However, the latest victim was killed so viciously that the Yard had to get involved. However, they are missing one important detail; each customer I dolled up had their wombs missing. Though the killer makes quite a mess, the wombs themselves are neatly cut out."

"How could that be? The murders were done on a public road, so wouldn't such a procedure have been difficult for an amateur," Lilliana asked.

"You're a sharp one, Lily," Undertaker said. She looked away at the sound of her nickname. Only one person called her that and she hasn't seen him in years; one-hundred and sixty-five to be exact. "That's exactly what I was thinking." He then walked to Ciel and said as he put his fingers around his neck, "First, the Ripper slashes their throats with a sharp weapon and then cuts this part open and takes out their precious uterus. I'm sure that there will be others killed; sadistic killers like him don't stop until someone makes them. Can you do that, Lord Phantomhive?"

"I am bound by the honor of my family crest and will eliminate anyone who defiles the Queen's garden without exception by any means necessary."

* * *

"What he said narrows down the field of suspects considerably. First, those well versed in medicine or dissection, especially those who have no alibis for the nights before the murders' discoveries. Second, given the removal of internal organs, it seems ritualistic, so we should consider those in involved in secret societies and black magic," Sebastian explained. They were riding a carriage back to the townhouse, but they needed to figure out what their next move was as soon as possible.

"How does that 'narrow down the field'? According to your calculations, _I_ could be the killer all because I'm a doctor and I could probably do the dissection. Besides, the season is ending soon. How do you intend to find these people before they skip town," Madame Red asked.

"I'll simply conclude our investigation before they can. After all, if I couldn't do that, then what kind of a butler would I be? I'll make a list of suspects and question them immediately, young master," Sebastian promised as he opened the carriage door. "Now, if you will excuse me." He jumped out of the moving carriage and landed like a cat, leaving Lau, Madame Red, and Grell, who was driving the carriage, in disbelief.

The five of them arrived to the townhouse a little while longer than they expected since Grell got lost on the way home and Lilliana had to take the reins. Lau opened the door for everyone, but was shocked to see Sebastian on the other side. "Welcome back, everyone. I've been awaiting your arrival. Your afternoon tea is ready in the drawing room." Ciel and Lilliana entered the townhouse like nothing was unusual, but Madame Red, Lau, and Grell were in disbelief for a second time.

"Hold on, how the hell did you get here," she asked.

"I finished my errands, so I came home ahead of you," he said with a smile.

"There's no way you could have finished your suspect list that fast! That's impossible, even for you-,"

"I merely created a list of names based on the criteria we discussed, contacted them all, and directly collected their statements." He showed the rolls of paper he had and started listing off the people he contacted, leaving the three of them dumbfounded. "However, I've narrowed our suspects to one person."

"Are you certain you are just a butler and not a military intelligence officer?"

"No, my lady, I am simply one hell of a butler."

* * *

"Our target is Aleister Chambers, the Viscount Druitt. He graduated from medical school, but has not gone into practice. He's thrown several parties at his home, but people say he also holds secret parties that only his intimates may attend," Sebastian explained.

"I've heard rumors that he's into black magic and that sort of thing," Madame Red said.

"So, you suspect that at these underground parties, they perform ceremonies and sacrifice the prostitutes," Lau asked.

"We'll see. Tonight is the last party of the season and this is our only chance to lure him," Ciel said as their carriage stopped and a greeter came to open the carriage door. Ciel walked out first and he was dressed as a pretty, young girl, which forced every ounce of Lilliana's strength to not laugh at him. To her surprise, he noticed that Grell was a bit jealous that Ciel got to wear such a beautiful dress, but after his complaints about not being able to wear a red dress, she didn't even bother to She was wearing her Reaper uniform, which surprised almost everyone at the party.

"This is my niece, Ciel," Madame Red introduced to many people throughout the party. "She is visiting from another country and this is Sebastian, her tutor."

"Who's the crazy girl in pants," most people asked.

"Oh, that's just my eccentric cousin from another country. Where she lives, women wear pants and the men wear skirts."

"Scotland?"

"Somewhere around there."

"Why do I have to play the niece?! Why couldn't Lilliana play the part," Ciel whispered to Sebastian and Lilliana.

"If I did, I fear that I might kill the bastard if he tries to do anything to me. Besides, I've already been humiliated in a dress. Now it's your turn, young master," Lilliana said with a smirk as she walked around, trying to find suspicious activity.

"Besides, I always wanted a girl," Madame Red said in a playful tone. "After all, you don't want them to know that you're a Phantomhive and Viscount Druitt has a reputation of falling for any cute thing in a skirt."

"Young lord, you did say you would do whatever necessary to find the killer," Sebastian said, receiving an angry stare from Ciel.

As Lilliana walked around, she noticed a familiar face at the ball. After careful examination, she realized it was Elizabeth Midford! "What is she doing here?" She looked to Sebastian and Ciel and whistled to get their attention. They looked to her direction and she pointed to Elizabeth. They looked and were in horror to see her here out of all places.

They were about to sneak away, but they heard Elizabeth say, "Oh my! You in the pink, that's such a cute dress!" They quickly ran into the crowd to lose her, but to assure that she didn't chase them, Lilliana "accidentally" bumped into her. "Oh, I'm sorry, mister," Elizabeth said, but as she looked up, she noticed this outfit did not belong to a man. "Are you a man?"

She laughed. "No, but I dress like one. I don't like wearing dresses," Lilliana said, trying to ignore her grudge on the little girl that forced her to look "cute" last night. Luckily for her, she didn't recognize her, mainly because of her spectacles and her hair covered half her face.

"Why not? Dresses are adorable! I bet I can find the perfect one for you," she said as she pulled her hand, but she didn't budge.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but I'm afraid I'm not changing out of these clothes," she said rather firmly.

She looked at her curiously. "How do you know my name?"

She realized her mistake, but said, "Who doesn't know about the adorable Lady Elizabeth Midford?" Elizabeth lost her suspicion and smiled at the compliment. They both heard music filling the room and watched as people hurriedly found a partner to dance with and one of those couples was Sebastian and Ciel. Lilliana started giggling, but it soon turned to laughter as she watched more intently.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing; it's just some of these people can't dance even if their lives depended on it."

"Excuse me, miss, but would you like a dance," a male voice said from behind. Both girls turned around and Lilliana's eye widened with absolute shock.

"B-B-B-Bastille?! How . . . What are you doing here," she asked, almost shaking at his presence.

"Well, what kind of big brother would I be if I couldn't find my little sister?" His eyes were a dark shade of crimson, just like Sebastian's. His skin was slightly pale and his hair was blonde. He wore a tuxedo like one Sebastian would wear, but he was no butler.

"Oh, how sweet! I'll leave you two alone for now while I find the girl with the cute pink dress," Elizabeth said as she left their side. Lilliana tried to follow her, but was held back by his strong hand.

"I told you that I would find you," he said as he hugged her. His crimson eyes looked deeply into her green eyes, but he didn't see any sign that she was happy to see him. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy to see me, Lily."

"H-H-How did you find me?"

"Well, word has it that you were working with a demon to fulfill his contract with a young boy. I followed that lead and asked every demon/boy pair I could find if they knew you, but then I saw you collect souls around London and watched your every move since."

"Then why wait until now to contact me," she said with anger in her voice.

"I wanted to see who your demon partner is and I have to say, I'm not pleased. I have heard a lot about Sebastian Michaelis from fellow demons and they say that he is very manipulative, even causing demons to fight each other. He has been known to be a womanizer!"

"So? What's wrong with that? I could say the same thing to you, Bastille," she said, but she noticed he was staring into the dancing crowd. She looked and saw that Sebastian was looking straight toward them. She blushed as she looked away, but he forcefully grabbed her hand and dragged her to the outside balcony. The two of them were alone as he the closed the door so no one would see them.

"Lily, I don't want you to get hurt! If you hang around with that demon, I will guarantee that he will use you. He doesn't care for you at all. You're just another pawn in his game."

"How? He hasn't even tried anything to me!"

"Oh, how about last night," he said angrily. Her eyes widened with surprise and she blushed. "He had you in his arms and don't think that I didn't hear what he said to you! It disgusted me!" She blushed a deeper shade of red; out of all the times to see them as a pair, it had to be that one? "He was about to kiss you if that prostitute didn't get killed!"

"Wait, do you know who killed her?"

"No, I don't, but all I know is that you can't protect yourself! You nearly fell into his trap."

"What trap? What are you not telling me," she asked with suspicion. He sighed, but then proceeded to lift the back of her collar shirt, as if to find something. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm just making sure you're still a virgin Reaper and verify you're not lying to me," he looked, but there was no sign of any devil markings. "You're telling the truth, thank Lucifer."

"That was highly inappropriate," she said as she slapped his cheek. "You could have just asked!"

"I'm sorry, but I had to know. I'm warning you now, if you still believe he is a respectable man and do anything . . . inappropriate with him, I will kill him."

"It's not your decision to make! I can take care of myself. I've been doing fine for over a century," she said as she pulled out her Death Scythe.

"Why are you being such a bitch to me? I just found you after all these years and now, you want to fight me?"

"I-I don't want to talk about this now! I'm going back inside and help him find Jack the Ripper, with or without your approval," she said as she headed back inside.

"If that's how it has to be, then I have no choice," he said as he pulled off his black glove. On his right hand, there was what seemed to be a scar of a pentagram and it glowed as he said the words, " _By the power of Lucifer and his many followers, I order that this woman before me to be placed under my watchful gaze from now until eternity_!" Suddenly, she felt something like a knife stabbing through her chest. She clung onto her chest with one hand, but she noticed that there was blood on both her shirt and hand. Eventually, she couldn't take the pain anymore and passed out.

* * *

"Lilliana, where are you," Sebastian said as he searched for her. The last time he saw her, she was with some man, but luckily, not the Viscount Druitt. However, her face was of shock, so whoever that man was, he knew her and vice versa. He was so distracted with dancing with Ciel that he didn't see where they went. Right now, Ciel convinced Viscount Druitt to separate from the crowd, so he had some time to spare. He opened the balcony door and looked outside, but he didn't see anyone. He looked around for any clues and eventually, he found a tiny pool of blood on the ground. He took off his glove and wiped the blood off the ground. He took a quick taste and it didn't taste like human blood or demon blood. Was it . . . Reaper blood? "Where the hell is she?" However, he couldn't proceed with his search since his master was calling for him. "Dammit, my young lord; you're always getting yourself into trouble." He left the balcony and headed to where Viscount Druitt kidnapped his master, but he hoped he could find her some time soon. "Be careful, Lilliana."


	5. A Chance Encounter

"Wake up, darling. It's time to wake up." Lilliana slowly opened her eyes and her vision was blurry. All she saw was a blob of red next to a figure in black. Good god; is this what Grim Reapers see without their glasses? As she blinked multiple times, she could finally clearly see that Madame Red and Grell were staring at her. In her hand, there were smelling salts that a doctor would normally use to wake up their patients. She greeted her with a smile as she said, "Oh good; we were worried about you."

"How did I get here," Lilliana asked. The last thing she remembered was her argument with Bastille and then a sharp pain in her chest.

"You must have had too much to drink since we found you passed out on the balcony," Madame Red explained. She got up from the sofa that she was lying on, but felt the pain in her chest again. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said weakly. She noticed she was still wearing her Reaper uniform, but the blood she thought she saw last night wasn't on her chest. "I'm going to my room to change my clothes."

"Oh, at least let Grell escort you," Madame Red said as she signaled him to escort her.

"Oh, no need. I can take care of myself."

"I insist." Regardless of what Lilliana was going to say, it wouldn't matter since Madame Red was so use to getting her way.

She sighed and said, "I guess I have no choice." She opened the door and left, completely dismissing the invitation.

Before he left, Madame Red said, "Make sure she doesn't cause _him_ any more trouble. Last night could have been much worse if Sebastian found her first."

"Why would I want to disappoint such a devilish man," Grell asked as he wrapped his arms around himself, but he proceeded out to catch up to Lilliana. Luckily for him, she was leaning against the wall close to the room with a disgruntled look on her face. "Are you all right, Ms. Kiliamo?"

"I'm fine. It's just my chest kind of hurts right now," she said with a subtle lying tone. Once the pain "died down", she started walking to her room, but after some time, she said, "You don't have to escort me, you know."

"But he told me to watch you," Grell said before quickly stopping himself.

"He?"

"Um, Sebastian; he told us to watch you."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "He actually told you guys to watch me?" He nodded and when they finally arrived to her room and she said, "I'll be changing now. I'll see you in a little while."

"Of course, Ms. Kiliamo," he said with a bow as he left her side. She then closed the door and proceeded to change her clothes. She took off the vest and started to unbutton her collar shirt, but as her cleavage was in view of the mirror, she noticed something unusual. There was a pentagram scar on her chest, just like the one Bastille had on his hand. How did it get there? She remembered the pain she felt last night; the feeling of a knife piercing her skin, and thought that maybe this is what caused it. She put her hand on the scar and it did sting, but not as much as she pretended to when she listened to what the duo had to say. The two of them were definitely hiding something.

* * *

"There is no time to play chess right now," Ciel said as he played a game of chess with his aunt.

"What harm can one little game do? If you continue to work this hard, it will harm your health. Why not leave everything to Sebastian," Madame Red asked.

"He is just my chess piece. I'm the one who moves him by giving him orders, but he's not an ordinary piece; he can advance as many squares as he likes," he said as he knocked down her white king with his black knight.

"Hey, that's against the rules!"

"If it were a game, it would be, but rules have no meaning in this world. There are always knights that break the rules and pawns that betray. If you let your guard down, even once, before you know it, checkmate."

Lilliana was in the drawing room, watching the two of them play while Sebastian made the afternoon tea. She was recently told that Viscount Druitt wasn't the man they were looking for since another murder happened last night. Sebastian, however, was far more concerned about her than the fact the killer was still on the loose. "How are you feeling, Lilliana," he asked.

"I'm fine," she said briefly.

"Are you sure? You disappeared in the middle of the ball with no notice. Even though you were working during your Reaper shift, you still would have at least told me when you were leaving. I didn't know you were okay until you entered the room." So he didn't tell them to watch her. Grell was lying to her, but surprisingly, a thought went through her mind.

"Shit, I totally forgot about my job! Will is going to be pissed at me when I show up today," she said worriedly. Normally, she would never be worried about work, but last night was different.

"So, you didn't go to work?"

"To be honest with you, I don't remember what happened last night. I just blacked out for no reason."

"I saw you speaking with a man last night." She looked down, but he lifted her chin with a finger. "Lilliana, who was he?"

She sighed. "He was my brother."

He looked at her with surprise in his expression as he asked, "Your brother? How did he find you?"

"He said he found me while I was collecting souls one night and learned you were my 'demon partner'," she said with air quotes.

He chuckled. "He must have gotten the wrong idea. You and I haven't done anything like that . . . yet," he teased, causing her to blush and laugh playfully.

"He doesn't want me near you because he feels you'll hurt me. I don't know how you could, especially since I will kill you with my Death Scythe if you try," she said with a smile.

"I'm not sure about that," he said as he started serving the tea he made to Ciel and Madame Red.

"You must've had other choices in life besides being the underworld's guard dog," Madame Red said to her nephew. "You mother must have wanted something else for you and yet, after their deaths, you returned to the underworld. Is it because you're trying to avenge your parents' murder?"

"Revenge won't bring the dead back and it certainly won't make them happy, but I didn't come back to the house of Phantomhive for my parents' sakes. I did it for myself," Ciel said. "I just want to make the people who betrayed and defiled my family to suffer the same humiliation and pain that I suffered."

"I still remember the day you were born; you were so tiny and so cute that I vowed that I would protect you. You know, I was never able to have a child of my own, but I think of you as my own son, especially for my sister's sake. I wish you would leave the under-," she said before being interrupted.

"Being here now is something I wanted and chose. I don't regret it and I can't depend on anyone."

After some time, Lilliana and Sebastian escorted Madame Red out the townhouse, but she left with some parting words. "Please don't leave that boy's side and make sure he doesn't stray from the path and get lost alone in this dangerous world."

"Fear not, we shall be by his side and protect him to the very end," he said with a bow. Madame Red smiled and exited the townhouse and into the carriage that Grell had prepared for her in advance.

Soon, night fell and Lilliana already left for her Reaper duties, leaving Ciel to figure out who this Jack the Ripper was. He was already in his pajamas and waited for him to tuck him in, but Sebastian was too focused on the suspect list. Eventually, he entered his room and Ciel asked, "Well?

"No matter how many times I examine it, the result is the same," he said.

"The viscount had nothing to do with yesterday's murder since he was arrested a short time after our visit."

"Indeed and none of the humans inside his mansion could have done it either."

"Quite right, no human in that mansion could have moved that quickly from the party to the murder site," he said before pausing and realizing why he used the word 'human'. "Sebastian! Don't tell me you-?"

"I've told you over and over: I do not lie. The only human that fits the criteria is Viscount Druitt."

"You know more than you are letting on, don't you?"

"I only carry out the orders that my master has given to me directly, but with one order from you, I can become your pawn or your sword. Now put the villain in check, master."

* * *

The two of them guarded outside the house of a young woman where Sebastian believed that she would be murdered, waiting for the murderer to show up. It was a very cold night and it seemed that at any moment, it could rain. "He'll show up if we stake out this place, right," Ciel asked. He was wearing regular clothing and not the ones he was used to so no one would be able to recognize him if someone saw him. He wore a bandage over his eye instead of his eye patch to cause less suspicion if anyone saw it. They might have assumed he got it in a terrible accident.

"Yes," Sebastian answered.

"It's true that the murdered prostitutes had other things in common besides having their organs removed, but why would he have to kill them?" Suddenly, they heard a scream from the house they were supposedly keeping watch of. "How could someone have gotten past us?" They both ran and Ciel opened the door to find a mutilated prostitute lying on the floor in large pools of blood. Ciel was not prepared to see such a horrific scene and Sebastian pulled him away to save the little innocence that his young lord possessed, but it was too late; Ciel vomited on the ground.

"That's quite a bloody mess you made, Jack the Ripper, or should I say," he said as he heard footsteps coming toward him and soon, the light showed a familiar face covered in blood. "Grell Sutcliff."

"Y-You have it all wrong," Grell tried to explain. "I heard the scream and ran over here, but she was already-."

"I think you should stop playing innocent in that body, Grell. It's over. It's rare I find someone like you in the human world and especially one that can play the role of 'harmless incompetent butler' quite adeptly. You had most of us fooled."

"Adeptly; do you really think so," he repeated, but then he gave off an evil grin with shark-like teeth. "That's great to hear. That's right; I'm an actress, honey, and I'm absolutely first-rate." He started to change his appearance, first taking off his ascot and then his spectacles. He pulled out a comb and began to comb his brown hair, but it soon turned to long locks of red hair. He placed fake eyelash on his eyes to make himself seem more feminine, replaced his ascot to a white and red one, and replaced his dirty white gloves with black ones. "But you're not 'Sebastian' either, are you?"

"That's the name I received from my young master, so yes, I am . . . at the moment."

"My, so you're playing the 'faithful dog'," Grell said as he put on his stylish red spectacles with mini skulls on the edges on the frame. "Though, you are handsome enough to get away with it. Well then, Sebastian, no wait, Bassy, let me re-introduce myself: I am Grell Sutcliff, butler to the Burnetts. I'm sure we two butlers can get along marvelously. What do you say," he asked as he blew a kiss to Sebastian, causing him to be utterly uncomfortable. "Ah, it's so nice to talk to you in my true form! It was utterly mortifying to be seen in front of a stud, such as yourself, with no makeup on and with a dull hair color. I have to admit that I was surprised when I first met you. I've never seen a demon play a butler before."

"I could say the same for you since I never imagined someone like you would play a butler. Well, I do know another someone who can fit the role," he said, causing Grell to scowl at his comment.

Grell lost his smile as he said, "You're not talking about that bitch of yours, are you? She acts so special since she's a Rogue Reaper, but in reality, she is a nuisance to everyone. If you ask me, we should have kicked her to the curb a long time ago." Sebastian scowled at his comment, but didn't say anything to defend her. "But that brother of hers," he said with a perverse tone.

"Regardless, why would a divine being like you bother to play a butler?"

"Good question. For now, let's just say it was out of love for a certain woman."

"And that woman would be?"

"You don't really need to ask, do you," a familiar voice said and out of the room came out a familiar face: Madame Red. "I didn't think anyone, especially you two, would be able to see Grell for what he truly is, but I guess when you have a fellow Reaper and a demon in your household, it is easy to figure out. I miscalculated that part."

"Naturally, you were on the initial suspect list, but your alibi was flawless," Ciel said, not too surprised that she was the murderer all this time.

"You actually suspected your own aunt?"

"If you had the potential to be Jack the Ripper, any blood relation was irreverent. None of the humans on the suspect list could have committed all the murders, but if one had an inhuman accomplice, that would change the game completely. If someone were to come to a room and leave without us noticing, they would also have to get from the viscount's ball to the East End in a pinch of time. You two are the only ones who could be Jack the Ripper."

"Are we really going to listen to the little brat talk and talk and talk," Grell asked impatiently.

"Shush, Grell. I want to see how our little detective figured out we were the ones who did it," Madame Red said, impressed by her nephew's detective skills.

"Jack the Ripper's victims had other things in common: they all underwent a certain surgery at London Central Hospital, where you work. The only patient on that list who hadn't yet been killed was Mary Kelly, who lived in that flat. We knew you would show up here if we kept an eye on the place, but we were too late, though."

"Oh, my poor little Ciel; if you hadn't figured it out, we could have played chess together again, but now, I won't give anything up this time," she yelled with madness in her eye.

Suddenly, they heard an engine revving and they both saw that Grell was advancing toward them with a chainsaw at hand. He aimed for the young lord, but before he could kill him, they heard the sound of metal clinging. Sebastian moved Ciel away in time, but as they looked toward Grell, they saw Lilliana with her Death Scythe holding back the chainsaw. "Sorry I'm late, but I had some things to take care of," she said. The two of them separated and prepared their Death Scythes for another attack.

"Oh fuck, it's you again! Oh wait, a lady never swears," Grell said.

"I'm not sure I can call you a lady, but you are definitely a bitch," she said as she advanced at him and swung her Scythe, but he dodged the attack.

"How dare you? Why must you always ruin my happiness," Grell asked angrily as he swung the chainsaw toward her, but she too dodged it just in time.

"What the hell is going on," Ciel asked Sebastian. He was unaware that Lilliana was a Grim Reaper this whole time; he thought she was just a specially chosen servant for the house, like Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Finnian. How on earth did they get a Grim Reaper to become one of his servants?

"The two of them are Grim Reapers and the weapons they possess are normally used to harvest souls when someone has died. They are called 'sickles'," Sebastian explained, but in comedic fashion, the two of them stopped their little fight and angrily looked at Sebastian, as if insulted by the comment.

"What are you calling a 'sickle'? This is a Death Scythe," she corrected.

"Don't you dare call it that especially after I've worked so hard to customize it to my personal specifications! This is the only Death Scythe I can wield to hack anything to pieces," he said as he swung toward Sebastian, but Lilliana used her Death Scythe to pull the chainsaw away from them. He flew back and landed on his back, but quickly got back up and said, "I've behaved myself so well lately and now I'm out of shape. I want to get some real exercise." He then rushed toward Sebastian and continued, "With you, perhaps?"

"Could you stop saying such repugnant things? I'm on duty, after all," Sebastian said.

"What a stoic man you are; yet another thing that makes you irresistible," Grell said with love in his eyes. Lilliana swung her Scythe at him, but it nearly hit Sebastian. Luckily, he dodged just in time.

"Oops, sorry," she said.

"Hey, you can't aim for my Bassy and think you can get away with it!" Grell started chasing her with his Scythe and swinging continuously, hoping she would eventually slow down so he could hit her, but she never did.

"Why would you kill innocent women, Grell? You'll get in serious trouble if you get caught," Lilliana said in between dodges.

He giggled as he said, "Innocent? I don't think you see their crimes. You see, I love the color red, especially in hair, clothes, and lipstick, so I painted all those ugly women with their pretty, pretty red blood." He turned to Sebastian and said, "Bassy, I'll make you even better-looking than you already are. I'm going to tear you up inside most glamorously and you are going to like it! I'll color you in red, like beautifully-scattered rose petals."

"A Grim Reaper quietly harvests the souls of the dying. A butler subserviently follows his master like a shadow. You vulgarity violate the aesthetics of both and quite frankly, I find it sickening." Rain started to pour on them and Sebastian placed his overcoat over Ciel so he wouldn't get wet.

"And Lilliana is any different? I'm sure she must disgust you too by the way she acts. She isn't a Reaper, but more like a demon."

"At least she doesn't kill innocent women like you do."

He chuckled. "Oh, Bassy, you wound me, but if you knew about her past, you wouldn't be saying that. I, at least, am a more _deadly_ efficient butler than I seem."

Ciel took off his eye patch and said, "In my own black name and that of the Queen, I order you: put an end to them!" Lilliana could finally see his eye and saw the same mark of the covenant that Sebastian had on his hand.

"Yes, my lord," Lilliana and Sebastian said. Grell smiled as he revved the engine and ran toward them. The two of them split up to dodge the blow.

He turned toward Sebastian and continually swung at him, saying, "Ah, Bassy; please run more! We can play this game of tag forever. Though, I much prefer doing the chasing myself than being chased." However, Sebastian dodged each swing with precision, but he was eventually cornered between a wall and the chainsaw held back by his hands, but it didn't prove to be too effective as it slowly lowered to his shoulder. "Now, now, if you don't escape fast, you'll get cut, but it's so much more fun when it hurts a little, isn't it?"

Lilliana tried to swing toward Grell to help Sebastian, but she heard Madame Red yelled, "If it's hunt or be hunted, there's only one thing I can do!" She pulled out a large knife from her coat and ran to Ciel, cutting his arm in the process. The sight and smell of the blood instantly turned Lilliana's eyes red.

He backed into a wall and frantically asked, "You're a doctor; why are you doing this?!"

"You would never understand even if I told you. You're just a child," she said as she grabbed his throat and pushed him further toward the wall. "You should have never been born!" Lilliana quickly came to his rescue by standing in between the knife and him. However, Madame Red couldn't go through with it for some reason and began to cry.

"Young master," Sebastian yelled as he sacrificed his arm for both Lilliana and Ciel.

He advanced toward Madame Red to kill her, but Ciel yelled, "Stop, Sebastian! Don't kill her!" Both he and Lilliana noticed his shoulder and were in horror as they saw blood come pouring out of his severely cut shoulder.

"Oh, Bassy, you've got a backbone; to think you would sacrifice your arm to go and save that kid and . . . monster, but how poorly you compared, Madame! Hurry up and kill the brat already!"

However, Madame Red couldn't speak as tears poured down her cheeks. "I loved my sister. I loved her family, especially her son. I . . . I can't. I can't kill him!"

"You're saying that now? You've sliced so many women to bits and you're getting soft on me now? If you don't kill him, he'll kill you," Grell said.

"The boy is my-," Madame Red said before an active chainsaw was stabbed into her chest, spilling her blood everywhere. All three of them looked in horror at the scene laid before them.

"Too late for that, I'm afraid. I'm disappointed in you, Madame Red. I have no interest in you if you're just another woman," Grell said as he pulled the chainsaw out of her, leaving her to fall on the ground and die. Soon, the deities saw her Cinematic Record coming out of her body and saw the life she lived.

Angelina Dalles was the young sister of Rachel, but she had an interest in Vincent Phantomhive. However, despite all the compliments she received about her self-hated red hair, her older sister married the Lord Phantomhive, but all seemed to get better when she received her medical license, married a young man, and they were about to receive their first child. Sadly, all didn't go her way since she lost them both in a carriage accident and to add further insult, she lost her dear sister and her husband in that house fire. All she had to live for was her dear nephew, who survived the fire. Her life as a doctor further broke her heart seeing all those prostitutes who were lucky enough with the gift of life would throw it away because they said it would interfere with their work. How she hated it so! That's when she decided that they needed to be punished and who happened to see her during her first murder? Why, that blood-red cloaked Grim Reaper, of course! They had two things in common: the "love" for the color red and the wanting to bear a child of their own. That night would lead to an unusual partnership. All these led to a life of misery and revenge. That is who Angela Dalles, aka Madame Red, became at the time of her death.

After collecting her soul, Grell said, "I loved you when you were dyed in crimson from your victim's blood. I'm disappointed you turned into such a trite woman and after I've gone through all that trouble of assisting you. I helped you set your alibi and even broke many rules for your sake, but I have no interest in someone who gets carried away by silly emotions. In fact, you don't have what it takes to wear red." He took off his overcoat and put on her coat, but left it dangling off his elbows. "Your cheap little melodrama ends now. Farewell, Madame. I hope _he_ will understand. After all, you two made quite a connection since you both in a way lost a sister, but he managed to find his. If only you made the deal, you could have had everything back, but now it's too late. The deal is over," he said as he proceeded to walk away. Lilliana was furious by what just happened, but she had more issues to work out. The large amount of blood surrounding the area made it very hard to control her bloodlust.

Ciel closed the dead woman's eyes and said, "What are you two waiting for? I thought I told you to put an end to Jack the Ripper. It's not over yet. Don't dawdle and kill the other one." The two of them looked confused, but they soon smiled.

"I was going to be nice and spare you since I'm not feeling it anymore, but if you are _that_ desperate to die, I'll just have to send you all to heaven," Grell said as he swung his active chainsaw toward the duo, but they dodged it in time.

"Heaven; you're joking," Sebastian scoffed. "I know nothing of Heaven and neither does Lilliana, especially since she has a demon for a brother."

He then turned toward to her and said, "Oh I know. He's a fine specimen. It would be a shame if something happened to his little sister." He swung at her, but she blocked it with her Death Scythe. "Why don't you just give up, already? You know that he will never love you, so why fight his battle?" Lilliana scowled at him and let her demon instincts free as she used all her strength to push him off and attack him, but he barely dodged. However, it was clear that he was scared by her sudden demonic strength. He's seen what she could do before. All of the sudden, Sebastian aimed a kick for Grell's face, but he somehow dodged that as well. However, despite that they were fighting, he was not happy about it. "You just aimed for a lady's face, you fiend!"

"Of course, but you see, I am merely one hell of a butler," he said with a smirk.

"Do you really think that a demon can beat a divine being like me?"

"You, a divine being? Ha, you must be joking," Lilliana said with a chuckle, making Grell mad.

"Perhaps, but if my master tells me to win, I shall win."

"You're quite keen on that puny little brat of yours. I'm starting to get jealous, but even demons cease to exist if I reap them with my Death Scythe. Aren't you frightened?"

"Not in the least. As long as our contract is in effect, I follow his every order. My soul and body belong to him. That is what it means to be a butler, you see, and also, I have Lilliana by my side.

"Well, let's see about that," Grell said as he revved the engine of his chainsaw.


	6. At Her Funeral

The three deities continued their fight; two against one, but Grell had a powerful weapon that even managed to severely injure Sebastian. "Here we are; a demon and two reapers fighting under the moonlight! How delightful," Grell said with a wicked smile. Lilliana tried swinging at him with her Death Scythe, but he jumped in the air to avoid it. "I suppose a meeting of the minds is impossible? After all, Reapers' job is to retrieve souls while demons steal those very souls. My unrequited feelings for you are forbidden, like the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet! Oh, Bassy, Bassy, wherefore art thou my sweet love, Bassy!" Sebastian tried to kick him in the face after saying such sickening words, but he missed and all three of them jumped on the rooftops of London. "Deny thy master and refuse thy spiteful name and cast your eyes upon me alone. We would be happy together."

"From the moment my master named me Sebastian, the word became my new baptism and contract. I've been Sebastian since that day. By yonder moon, I swear it."

"What an insincere man you are to swear by the inconstant moon. Your eyes are impure that love no one. You are a devil who takes innocent souls with your unworthy hands and lips. You caress me with that devilish gaze! Oh, it's so good! You thrill me, Sebastian! I feel as if I could bear your children if only you would let me!" Lilliana tried her absolute hardest not to throw up at the thought, but she couldn't help it.

"Please stop! The mere though is revolting," she said after she finished wiping her mouth.

"I wasn't talking to you, bitch," he said as he aimed for her chest with his chainsaw, but she used her own Death Scythe to redirect the attack.

"We both know I'm stronger than you, so why don't you give up? It's two against one."

"It doesn't mean shit now that I have my all improved Death Scythe," he said as they continued swinging at each other. Sebastian finally was able to land a hit on Grell as he kicked Grell's hands down so that his chainsaw would cut through the roof of a building, stopping his attacks, but Grell was more than happy to be stopped by him. "Oh, Bassy, if only the cruel sun would never come, the two of us could live in love like this for all eternity in the moonlight's seductive glow, but I'm afraid our amorous adventure ends now." He then head butted Sebastian and Sebastian started to fall. "Let us part with a passionate kiss. Good night, my love," he said as he revved the engine and sliced into Sebastian, spilling blood everywhere.

"Sebastian," she yelled, trying to save him, but what could she do? If anything, the blood surrounding him was going to make her "help" hurt him even more. She had to stay back if she wanted to control herself. All of them could see Sebastian's Cinematic Record and the Reapers were certain they would see his whole life as a demon, but they were surprised to see none of that. Instead, they saw his life as Sebastian the butler.

"Wait! Who are these people?! What the hell is this," Grell yelled with utter confusion.

"That is my life for the past year," Sebastian said with a breathy voice.

"I'm not interested in this domestic Record! C'mon, show me the good stuff!"

"So sorry, but I'm afraid I charge for the juicy bits," he said, now getting up like he recovered from his injuries.

"No fair," Grell yelled angrily.

"Oh no, my clothes are ruined again," he said as he examined his clothes. "This is past mending."

"You must be _pretty_ confident to be worrying about your clothes at a time like this," Lilliana said from a distance. He looked her way and saw that her eyes were a deep shade of red, almost crimson. If he didn't know any better, he could have mistaken her for a demon.

"Were the wounds not deep enough, Bassy? However, I _do_ like a sharp-looking man who is careful about his appearance," Grell said with a smile.

Sebastian took off his tailcoat, revealing his bloodstained white collar shirt and vest. "This is the one technique I didn't want to use, but I have no other choice."

"So, you're finally going to get serious with me, then? Shall we close the curtain for you and say farewell to this world? I'll miss you terribly, but maybe we will be joined in the hereafter, Bassy," Grell said as he revved his chainsaw and aimed for Sebastian, but he was too quick for the flamboyant Reaper as he put what was left of his tailcoat in the engine of the chainsaw. It soon got stuck and stopped it from running, leaving Grell in confusion. "What the hell?! It stopped moving!"

"If the cutting edge of your Death Scythe is dependent upon its revolution, then I only needed to keep it from doing so. That tailcoat is made of the highest quality of Yorkshire wool. Wool has one of the highest frictional forces of all cloths and once it gets caught in something, it's very difficult to remove," he explained.

Grell tried removing it, more forceful with every tug, but it was no use. Just as he said, it was very difficult to remove, leaving him extremely frustrated. "What the fuck?!"

"That coat was supplied to me by the estate and I didn't want to use it this way, but you ruined it already. Now, you can no longer utilize your Death Scythe, can you? However, in a normal fistfight, I have some expertise in that area," he said with a wicked smile.

"W-Wait; please not the face," Grell begged in fear, but his pleas were unheard as he punched and kicked him right in the face multiple times. His last punch even managed to make Grell fall off the roof to the bloody scene below, but unlucky for him, Lilliana was there to deliver a kick that sent him flying away from Ciel.

"I'm sorry, master, but I misjudged the distance," Sebastian said to Ciel.

He got a good look of Sebastian's bloody outfit and coldly said, "You look pretty awful." For a kid who just witnessed his aunt get brutally murdered right in front of him, he sure seemed unemotional about it.

"He did cause us a bit of trouble," he said.

"I-I'll get you all for this," Grell said weakly as he tried to get up.

"Oh dear, I suppose one can't kill a Grim Reaper with bare fists alone, but what about with this," Sebastian asked as he grabbed the chainsaw and easily took off the tailcoat. "The Grim Reaper's sickle can cut anything, right, including you?"

"W-W-What are you thinking?! No don't-," Grell yelled, but was soon pinned down by his foot. "That hurts, Bassy! It hurts!"

"Young master, hideous though he may be, he is still a divine being. Are you prepared to shoulder the heavy crime of killing him," Sebastian warned in between Grell's screams.

"Are you trying to make me repeat my order," Ciel asked.

"Very well, my lord," he said as he raised the chainsaw. Lilliana suddenly had a change of heart about the situation; although he did try to kill her and Sebastian just seconds ago, he was one of the few Reapers that even acknowledged her like one of them, or at least, for a little while, before he became a jerk about it. Despite the large amounts of blood surrounding her, her eyes turned green at the realization. "We finally found something that you're good at: screaming. As a reward, I'll kill you with your favorite toy!"

"Please stop," she yelled. Sebastian turned around and was surprised by her olive green eyes. Regardless, he lifted up the chainsaw and prepared to swing it down with all his might.

"I can tell you who killed the brat's parents," Grell begged, but the chainsaw swung down toward him. However, it was stopped by what appeared to be a very long pruner. They all looked to where the pruner led and saw a man in a suit looking down at them from the rooftop of a building.

"I apologize for interrupting your little fight. Allow me to introduce myself: I am William T. Spears, an administrator at the Grim Reaper Staffing Association. I've come to claim that red-headed Reaper over there," he said as he retracted the pruner Death Scythe and jumped down toward the scene.

"William! You came to rescue-," Grell said with relief, but was soon slammed down to the ground by William's foot.

"Grell Sutcliff, you have violated several regulations: killing people not on the To-Die list, modifying a Death Scythe without filing a permission form, and finally, attempting to leak classified information about the cause of death and identity of a murderer," he said before facing Sebastian and bowing. "I apologize for all the trouble this wretch has caused. Though, I never thought I would see the day when I would have to bow my head to demon scum like you. I already let one of my Reapers work with you," he said before turning to Lilliana. "This is a disgrace to the profession of Grim Reapers."

"Then perhaps, you should keep close watch over your staff so they don't cause any more trouble for us 'noxious beasts'. Humans are very susceptible to temptation when they are placed in the hellish bowels of despair. They will do anything to grasp the thinnest strand of thread to escape from misery and despair," Sebastian said.

"That's a charming bit of hypocrisy. Aren't you demons the ones who take advantage of that more than Grim Reapers do?"

"I won't deny it," he said with a smile.

"Though, you seem to be a tame dog with a collar, that makes you a lesser evil," William said as he turned to Lilliana. "Unlike those unprincipled, rabid dogs we have come to known. I just wish that she would learn that." Her green eyes soon turned red with anger and thought about charging toward him, but she decided not to. With the blood surrounding her, she might be able to kill him easily without realizing it. "Come, Grell, we're leaving." He grabbed Grell's long red hair and started dragging him back to headquarters, but stopped to talk to Lilliana. He saw her red eyes and kept some distance from her in case she reacted rashly. "I guess a thank you would be in order for informing me of where this nuisance was, but since I'm not very good at gratitude, I will give you a reward instead. What would you like?"

"You sold me out? I was about to get killed, you hear? You little bit-," Grell yelled as he got up from the ground and tried to hit her, but Will hit him in the gut to stop him.

"We will have none of that right now," he said sternly.

She looked at Sebastian and then said, "Well, I _have_ been working my ass off for two years balancing two jobs and I think it's time that I got at least one week off. Is that all right with you?"

He sighed, but said, "I guess that's fine. We're already short-handed as it is, though, but we'll make do."

"Oh, you forgot this," Sebastian said as he threw the chainsaw at him, but William caught it before it could do any damage.

"Thanks," he said with some sarcasm as he and Grell disappeared into the night.

"I'm sorry, master, but I allowed half of Jack the Ripper to escape," Sebastian said as he walked closer to Ciel.

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said with sadness in his voice.

"Master, are you all right? You're chilled to the bone," Lilliana said as she put a warm hand on his cheek. "Let's hurry back to the townhouse. We can make some warm milk for you." However, he wiped her hand off of his face almost in disgust as he looked at her, finally able to get a good look at her, but luckily for her, her eyes were back to green, so it wouldn't alarm him. He would have never guessed in a million years he would be able to make a Grim Reaper one of his servants, but even the Reapers they met tonight seem to say that she's different. To them, she was dangerous and those red eyes proved it. She was no ordinary Grim Reaper, but something more . . . chaotic. "Young master?"

"Who are you? Why didn't you tell me the truth from the very beginning," he yelled.

"Master, I . . . What was the point in telling you? It wouldn't have made a difference."

"It wouldn't have made a difference?! You could have told me everything about the Jack the Ripper case! You could have told me about my parents' death! You could have saved my aunt!"

"Ciel," she said, not caring at the point about calling him "master", "A Grim Reaper like me can't expose that kind of information even if I wanted to and I am not supposed to save anyone who is meant to die. We have rules about these things and if I break them . . .," she paused.

"What will happen? Tell me!"

"They'll kill my brother, okay," she yelled. Their eyes widened in shock. "I was born a Reaper, but my brother taught me how to be a demon. He was the family I never had, but the Reapers found me and took me away from him, saying that I was being manipulated by a 'foul creature'. They sent me to rehabilitation to force me to be like a proper Grim Reaper and it was the worst years of my life! I was tortured until I was finally forced to submit to their system and even then, I would never get the same respect as a regular Grim Reaper. They labeled me a Rogue Reaper, which meant I could do whatever I wanted, expect go back to my demon ways and if I did, not only would they put me through rehabilitation again, but they would kill the man who influenced my urges, hoping I would be 'free from his spell'."

"So, your brother . . . is a demon," Ciel asked.

"Yes and to be honest with you, I wish I was too, but it can never be as long as I am a Grim Reaper," she said, now tears running down her eyes. The two of them were shocked; they never saw her cry before. She really must care a lot for her brother.

"Young master, let's go back to the townhouse," Sebastian said, trying to ease the tension.

"Yes, I think we are all tired," he said.

* * *

Sometime later, the day was filled with sorrow as everyone was in attendance for the funeral of Angelica Dalles, including Elizabeth and her closest friends. No one could have ever imagined what happened to her the night she was murdered, but as far as everybody knows, she died of natural causes. There were some children outside the church and they noticed the large gathering of people and one little boy asked, "There is a lot of people at the church today, huh big brother. Why?"

"I don't know," the older brother responded.

"What do you mean you don't know? You're our big brother," a little girl commented.

"I'm only twelve! I'm not supposed to know everything!"

"Indeed," Undertaker said out of nowhere, scaring the children. They then looked at him and he continued, "It is only natural that a normal twelve year old boy wouldn't know. You see, today is a certain noble woman's big day."

"What do you mean, mister," the little girl asked.

"Well, a person's final and biggest ceremony in life: the funeral," he said with a smile. The children ran in fear at his statement, but he heard a slight giggle.

"Is there ever a day when you don't scare anyone with your death obsession," Lilliana said. She was wearing a black dress for the ceremony. It was slim and showed off her image, but it wasn't too revealing. Still, it surprised him to see her wear a dress at all.

"This is new," he said as he pointed at the dress.

"It . . . It wasn't my choice. Sebastian told me to wear something black and the only thing I could find was this," she said with embarrassment in her tone while putting her hand behind her head.

"You could have borrowed one of his tuxedos," he teased, followed by a chuckle. "I'm sure he would let you."

"Can we just drop the subject and get back to business."

"Of course," he said as they both walked to a carriage that had red rose petals inside. Sebastian was waiting for them and once Ciel walked into the church, they released the rose petals to create a beautiful scene inside. Ciel was upset that they put Madame Red in such plain clothes and had her surrounded by white flowers that he needed to make a few changes, including burying her with a scarlet dress.

"It's funny," Undertaker said with a giggle. "I never imagined that a demon would be this close to a church. I could say the same for Lilliana, but only because she and her brother avoided churches."

The two of them looked at him and laughed. "If my master commands it, then I must abide by it, even if it's close to a 'holy' place," Sebastian said.

She looked inside and could see the priest that was preaching what she viewed as lies to the people in attendance. There was no one she hated more than clergymen, especially those who use their title to get whatever they wanted. She had this hate since the very beginning of her existence and even though her brother wasn't around to influence that thought, she kept that hate. She hurriedly walked away from the front door and toward the graves, alarming Sebastian.

He was about to chase after her, but Undertaker said, "Oh, I almost forgot. She has an interesting hatred toward holy people, priests in particular."

"I can understand why from a demon's perspective, but why would she, a Grim Reaper, hate them?"

"At some point in her life, she had a rather bad encounter with a priest and it did not end well. In fact, it's the very reason why she's like this." Sebastian looked toward her and could see that her eyes were red with hatred. "If I remember correctly, she devoured mostly holy people's souls before we rehabilitated her. If there was any religious persecution, she and her brother were there with hunger in their eyes."

After the funeral was over, they buried her in the graveyard and they all paid homage. Undertaker showed little emotion by the ordeal since death was his job, but Lilliana almost started crying. She couldn't believe that someone could do something like this to her, especially a Grim Reaper. She thought about it more and said under her breath, "When I get back to work, I'm going to ask Grell a few questions."

They walked around the church to found Lau who had a few questions about what happened. "So, you're not going to report the true identity of Jack the Ripper to the Queen?"

"There's no need for that. Her wish was that we end the incidents and nothing more. The objective has been fulfilled," Ciel explained.

Lau sighed. "Even if you set foot somewhere you can't return and all looks lost, I know you would never let anyone see you pathetically screaming and crying for help. Not you, the proud dog of the Queen. I'll be careful not to make myself a target for you."

"Opium dens are starting to become a problem. If you're going to get out, now's the time."

"If I did that, I'd have to think of another business to run and that seems to be more trouble than it is worth."

"Well, you could always go back to your home country."

He chuckled. "I haven't exhausted my interest in this country yet or in you, my lord," he said as he left their side. "I fully expect you'll put on many more interesting shows for me."

Ciel started to walk the opposite direction and said to Sebastian and Lilliana, "We have someplace to be." They nodded and all three of them headed for the grave of the last Jack the Ripper victim: Mary Jane Kelly.

Undertaker was there to meet them and said, "This is my final customer from the Jack the Ripper murders."

"Apparently, she was an immigrant since they couldn't find anyone to claim her body," Ciel explained.

"So, our kindhearted young earl hired me to pretty her up and even erected this gravestone for her," he said rather creepily.

"I am not kindhearted. If I had given her life first priority that night, there would have been many ways to save her, but instead, I prioritized catching Jack the Ripper. There were so many ways to save her, but I did not attempt any of them. Besides, I knew Madame Red couldn't be saved; I knew she was going to die, but I let her. She was my own flesh and blood."

"Is our young lord having regret," Undertaker asked.

"No, Jack the Ripper is gone and Her Majesty's anxieties are resolved."

"You know, I never really liked that Queen Victoria. She hands down the dirty work to a select few while she just watches from afar. It doesn't seem fair to me."

"It's my family's duty to serve her. It has been passed on for generations, like this ring," he said as he touched the newly-repaired ring on his thumb. Lilliana swore that the ring was not only shattered in pieces at the "ball" with Lizzie, but he also threw it out of sight, never to be seen again. However, it was back on his thumb like that whole incident never occurred. She looked at Sebastian and he gave her a wink.

"So, that ring is like a dog collar. It connects you to the Queen by the chains of 'fate'."

"I'm the one who chose this," Ciel said angrily, but Undertaker grabbed Ciel's tie forcefully, as if he was going to choke him with it.

"I pray you would know what that leash of 'duty' is leading you into and won't get hung by that collar. We wouldn't want that, now would we? It would be gravely disappointing," he said as he let go of him and he left their side. "Come by my shop whenever you need something. You three are always welcome."

When it was the three of them left, Sebastian said, "It was noble of you."

"Don't make me repeat myself! I'm not kind-," he said before he was interrupted.

"If you aren't, perhaps that means you're weak," Lilliana said.

"Why you-," he said angrily.

"Why didn't you kill her? You had a gun with you and yet, you didn't use it even when your aunt tried to kill you. You could have defended yourself, but didn't. Were you afraid of killing Madame Red yourself? You let a complete stranger die, but not your own kin," Sebastian asked.

"I thought you would protect me even at the cost of your own life; that's why I didn't shoot. Our contract was that you would protect me until my goal is achieved. I imagine demons and maybe even Grim Reapers don't know what loyalty and principles are since all you two run by are aesthetics and because of those aesthetics, you will protect me no matter what. Am I wrong?" Lilliana looked down. She knew what loyalty meant, especially since she was a loyal servant for Ciel for two years, but she herself has never experienced loyalty from another person. The closest to that was her brother, but even then, he only wanted her to become a demon, even if it meant to fundamentally break her Reaper status.

"If that's the case, then why did you stop Sebastian from killing her," Lilliana asked.

"There was hesitation in her eyes as she moved to kill me. I thought she wouldn't be able to kill her own nephew and I was right. One wrong move costs a person their life; it's just like chess. She hesitated and lost sight of her next move. That's why I won't hesitate," he said as he walked away from the grave.

Sebastian smiled and said, "That's what I like to hear. You're always skillfully manipulating your chess pieces and surviving. Use your pawns because even if the bodies of your pawns pile up at the foot of your throne, when the king falls, the game is over."

"I won't stop moving and I won't regret the steps I've taken. This is an order for the both of you: you are not to betray me. Sebastian, never leave my side ever!"

"Yes, my lord," the two said in unison.

* * *

After tucking Ciel into bed, Sebastian walked down the halls and finally into the servant's quarters. He opened the door to Lilliana's room, hoping he could speak with her, but she was nowhere to be found. Didn't she ask for the week off? She wouldn't perform Reaper duties if she didn't have to. He kept exploring, even checking his own room, but she wasn't there either. He was about to give up, but as he passed the servant's washroom, he heard splashing noises. He put an ear at the door and could hear her hum a simple tune.

After a while, Lilliana dried herself with a towel and wrapped it around her body. She didn't bring a nightgown with her since mostly everyone was asleep and the only person that was awake was usually cleaning other rooms away from the servant's quarters. She then wrapped a towel on her head to dry her hair and proceeded out the door. As she opened the door, she was surprised to see someone so close to the door. She shrieked, but Sebastian put his hand over her mouth. "Be very quiet. You don't want to wake up the other servants, do you?" She shook her head and he smiled. "That's good." He then let go of her mouth and she was clearly angry.

"What the fuck, Sebastian! How many times must I tell you not to scare me like that?"

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to speak with . . . ," he said, but noticed some red on her chest that looked like a pentagram scar. "What happened here?"

"Huh," she said before noticing where his eyes were looking at and slapping him. "That's very improper, you pervert!"

He looked at her and said, "Did your brother do that to you?"

"Why are you so concerned about it?"

"How am I not supposed to be concern with a scar on your chest? Let me see it," he said, slightly pulling her towel down.

She grabbed his hand and said, "What are you doing?! You can't do that here!"

"Oh, but I could if we were somewhere private," he teased.

"D-D-Don't misinterpret my words! I mean it," she said rather loudly, causing him to cover her mouth again. He shushed her and she exhaled with annoyance. He then swept her off her feet and she shrieked in surprise. She blushed, knowing that his hand was on the towel, but that was the only barrier between his hand and her bare skin. "Put me down right now!"

"I'm afraid I can't. After all, you have no Reaper duties to attend to and now . . . you're finally free to do anything you want," he said with a grin.

"Well, what I want right now is for you to put me down!" Her cheeks couldn't be any redder. If the towel slipped, she would be fully exposed.

"I will, but not right now," he said as he walked her away from the washroom. She could have tried to wiggle out his arms, but if she did, she feared that the towel would slip off in the process. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck so she wouldn't fall, which pleased him. "Have you finally submitted?"

"Not in the least, but I don't want to fall," she said with an angry tone. He walked her to his room and she was confused. "I thought you were taking me back to my room?"

"I don't remember agreeing on that. Besides, you still owe me one night; you've been avoiding me for quite some time," he said with a grin. She blushed and wiggled to get free, but he didn't let her go. He managed to open the door with one hand and finally set her down on his bed. She tried to run out the room, but he didn't let her.

"Can I at least put something on?!"

"Nope," he said as he removed his shirt. She could see the severe injuries Sebastian suffered during their fight with Grell and his chainsaw. They were recovering fast, but there were still remnants of the wound, including dry blood. If he were human, he would have been dead for sure, but since he was a demon, he lived to see another day.

He then got on top of her, making her blush immensely. "You're going to be shy now? You've been leading me on this whole time?"

"What are you talking about? You're the one who has been asking for it," she said nervously.

"But you kept pushing me away, leaving me to want you even more, you little vixen," he said, but then pouted. "It's sad that I can't see your gorgeous red eyes. I thought showing you my wounds would excite the demon in you."

"Don't demons like fresh blood?" He thought about it and then nodded. "That's why! Your wounds are almost healed and-," she said before she was interrupted by a kiss. She was surprised, but soon closed her eyes and accepted the kiss. The moment they have been waiting for has finally arrived. The kiss was long, but there was no tongue, which disappointed her. Their lips soon parted and she teased, "Funny, I thought our first kiss would be more . . . passionate, especially coming from a demon," she said as her eyes turned red, but for once, not of bloodlust. Instead, it was just pure lust.

He smiled and said, "There are those lovely eyes." He continued to kiss her and this time, he was sure to add tongue. His tongue found her way into her mouth and she returned the gesture of passion. Fiery passion! She clung to him so his body was touching hers and his hands rested on her hips. They were breathing hard the longer they kissed until finally, their lips parted once more. He then proceeded to kiss her neck, leaving her in erotic pleasure. She bit her bottom lip while she tried to suppress loud moans and sighs, but it didn't last long. "So, are you going to explain the scar," Sebastian asked. She looked at him confused, but saw that he was pulling down the towel with his index finger, but not fully exposing her breasts. It was enough to show the entire scar and nothing else but cleavage.

"Right now," she complained, but he wouldn't continue pleasuring her without an answer. "Ugh, fine! Yes, my brother caused the scar, but all he did was say a chant; something about 'being under his watchful gaze for eternity'."

His eyes widened at the statement and explained, "Your brother used the Branding Incantation on you so he could never lose you."

"I don't want him to watch my every step! I am not a child!"

"But something drastic must have happened in order for him to do something like this. What happened," he asked, but he received no answer. He then started to kiss her neck again and she was in pleasure once more. He knew the only way to get what he wanted from a woman was to give her the pleasure she desperately craved. After a while, he stopped and asked again, "What happened?"

"I . . . I was taken from him. The Head Reapers at the time knew of my whereabouts and kidnapped me in order to 'save me'. He has been paranoid ever since."

"I suppose that would cause him to recite such an incantation, but I bet this seal was painful to put on."

"Hell yeah it was. It felt like a knife was piercing my skin and into my heart."

"Well, there are less painful ways of branding a person. Would you like me to show you?" She looked at him confused, but it didn't matter since he started to take the towel off of her, slowly. He soon saw everything: her perky breasts, her slim stomach, her wonderful hips, her . . . lady parts, and then finally, her toned legs. Once it was completely off, he admired her beautiful body by placing his hands all over her.

"It's not fair you're still fully clothed," she teased. He smiled as he removed his pants, exposing . . . everything. Her eyes widened with shock.

"Are you ready," he asked with a chuckle.

"Of course," she said as he slowly inserted his penis inside her. She shrieked with both pain and pleasure.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm all right. Just continue," she said. He smiled as he moved his hips so they could both feel pleasure. It started off slow, but he soon sped up the pace, making her moan louder and louder. Who knew a demon could fuck so well? Eventually, she felt her body tense up and then she finally climbed. "Sebastian, I'm . . . I'm-,"

Soon enough, they both came. He filled her with his love as he collapsed on top of her. They were trying to catch their breath, but after a while, Lilliana said, "Ready for round two?"


	7. Merrymaking Dogs

"We can't wait until we get to the resort," the servants sang. Everyone, including Ciel, Sebastian, and Lilliana, were on their way to a little village called Houndsworth to see the new location of a resort funded by the Queen herself. For this mission, Ciel allowed the servants to accompany him, not just Sebastian and Lilliana, especially since he was still suspicious of her. However, no one was more excited about the trip than the servants, who were riding in their own horse-drawn carriage.

"Isn't this wonderful," Finnian asked with glee.

"Oh, yes! I can't believe he's taking us with him to the Queen's health resort," Mey-Rin said.

"I guess even the young master has his good points," Baldroy said with a laugh.

"They are very excited about this trip, young master," Lilliana said in the other carriage with Ciel and Sebastian. "It appears that they are very grateful to you, but I bet you brought them with us since you didn't want them to be left alone. Who knows; they might destroy the manor when you returned home." However, he didn't respond to her and only gave her a cold stare. She sighed as she repeated for now the hundredth time, "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think it was important for you to know."

"It _was_ important. Your abilities could have helped us deal with so many problems and prevent unnecessary casualties," he said, mainly talking about Madame Red.

"I already told you that Reapers can't release that kind of information to humans. It's against the rules and even then, I'm breaking a lot of them just by existing."

"And why didn't you tell me, Sebastian?"

"I was given no order to reveal such information to you," he said, but still facing the front.

"At least you tried to help; I'll give you that. Even though she wasn't going to kill me, it was noble of you to stand before her if she did."

She chuckled as she said, "It was no problem since an attack like that won't kill me. I've survived much worse."

"We've reached the entrance of the village," Sebastian announced as the carriages halted. The servants looked in awe at the village that they expected to be quite beautiful and luxurious, but instead, they saw a dead tree with chains and collars hanging from it and on the ground, there were skulls of what seemed like animals. They all looked in horror and disappointment at the sight.

"I forgot to tell you one thing: this is the planned construction site for the resort," Ciel said coldly. The servants looked even more disappointed as their hopes of a vacation were shattered.

The goal of this trip, however, was not just the construction of a resort. Ciel received word from the Queen that this town was infamous for "dog-baiting", a sickening form of entertainment where they would restrain a dog with a chain while other dogs would bite at it, killing it in the process. This sick show was once "bear-baiting", but since it was banned in England, the town found a loophole and managed to find a way to keep the tradition. Not only that, but there have been reports that villagers of this town have been killed or gone missing and the Queen ordered Ciel to find the cause and dispose of it.

Eventually, they reached the entrance to the small village and while riding through it, they noticed there were so many dogs either caged or set free. They rode past a man training a dog and Sebastian commented, "Huh, so the dog is forced to behave to receive a reward or it will receive punishment, but it somehow does not fear its master. It fawns over him and welcomes the chains that restrict it."

"If there is something you want to say, say it," Ciel said.

"Thank you, my lord. I love cats, but I'm not fond of dogs, or really, I hate them," Sebastian said with a smile.

"Woof," Ciel said mockingly.

As time passed, they finally arrived to their destination: Barrymore Castle. As they arrived, they were greeted by a woman with white hair, purple eyes, and a maid's outfit. To anyone else, she was the most beautiful woman in town that could catch anyone's eye, especially Finnian's. "The Earl Phantomhive, I presume," she asked in a sweet voice.

"Yes," Lilliana answered.

"Welcome to Barrymore Castle. My master awaits your arrival," she said with a bow. Lilliana and Sebastian eyed her suspiciously, but said no word. As the other servants parked the carriages, the maid, Ciel, Sebastian, and Lilliana entered the estate as she guided them to her master. The place seemed nice, but it gave off an eerie atmosphere, especially since there were animal head trophies everywhere. They finally arrived to the room where her master was waiting for them, but he greeted his maid with a whip.

"Who the devil is this Chihuahua," he asked very harshly as he repeatedly whipped her. "I told you to go receive the Queen's messenger! Can't you do anything right, Angela?"

"Sebastian, stop him," Ciel ordered. Sebastian nodded and held back the master's hand to stop his abuse on Angela.

"What are you doing, you filthy Doberman?! Let me go!"

"I ordered him to stop you. It seems that you got my letter. I'm Ciel Phantomhive."

"You mean to tell me a little you poodle like you is Her Majesty's messenger," he asked in disbelief.

"Do you disapprove of small breeds, Lord Henry," Ciel asked with his usual arrogant tone.

"Yes . . . er . . . no. What do you want?"

"I have a proposition from the Queen that might catch your interest," Ciel said as he showed him a handful of paperwork. "Shall we discuss it with some tea?"

"Sure. Angela, prepare us some tea right now," he yelled. She bowed her head and hurriedly ran to retrieve a cart of tea. She reached for a cup, but her hands were so shaky that she looked like she was going to spill it at any moment.

"I'll take care of it," Lilliana whispered to Angela. She nodded and allowed her to pour the tea with steady hands. The two masters looked at the paperwork, but Lord Henry threw the papers on the table, as if disgusted by the proposal.

"It's not worth discussing. No matter what the terms, I can't sell this place."

"Why?"

"There is a curse that haunts this place," Henry said. All ears were on him as he continued, "This village has lived alongside with its dogs since ancient times and those who interfere with it are cursed by a fearsome scourge. Great calamity befalls anyone who goes against the Barrymore family."

"Oh, interesting. Let's have a close look at this 'calamity'," Ciel said.

* * *

It was night when Sebastian and Lilliana prepared their young lord for bed, but were soon interrupted when Angela came in and said, "I apologize for the lateness of the hour, but I have a request."

"What is it? My master is about to retire for the evening," Sebastian asked.

"Please, leave this village immediately. You mustn't stay here," she asked rather frantically.

"Why is that," Ciel asked.

"I can't say-," she said, but was interrupted by a howling outside the estate. "Oh no; the demon hound is here," she said in fear.

"The what," Lilliana asked, but they soon saw a shadow of a dog's head on the curtains of the window. Sebastian quickly opened the curtains, but they didn't see anything except a trail of shiny green residue leaving the Barrymore Castle. All four of them ran outside and Ciel examined the trail, but were soon approached by Finnian, Baldroy, and Mey-Rin, who were still in the pajamas.

"Master, what the devil is going on?! What's all the fuss about," Baldroy asked.

"The demon hound has appeared," Angela said. "It brings calamity upon the village and anyone who defies my master are punished by it. That is the law of the village and there is no way to stop it."

"Angela, please tell Lord Barrymore that the demon hound has come again," a random villager yelled. He was amongst other villagers that were carrying torches and heading toward the Barrymore Castle.

"Who has been punished," she asked worriedly.

"It's James, but we need him right away." She nodded her head and ran inside to retrieve her master.

"Would you mind leading us to the victim," Lilliana asked one of the villagers.

"Of course, but be warned, it is a bloody sight." She looked at Sebastian and sighed.

"You can all go along without me. I . . . I don't like the sight of blood," she lied as she headed inside.

Ciel looked at Sebastian with a suspicious look, but Sebastian came close to his master and whispered, "You and I both know that she won't stay away. After all, it is her job."

The group followed the villagers to a dead man who appeared to be attacked by a rabid animal. He had bite marks all over his body and his clothes were torn. They all looked in horror, but Sebastian looked up at the roof of a building and could see Lilliana in her Reaper uniform and Death Scythe at hand staring at the scene below. Her eyes were red due to large amount of blood that spilled out of the dead man. "Out of my way; don't touch him," Lord Henry said as he pushed himself to the front of the group to see the body. "So James was the bad dog?"

"Yes, he broke the five-dog rule and kept a sixth dog," a villager said.

"I see, so this was inevitable."

"That's all you can say?! How can you say something like that," Mey-Rin said with anger.

"This village has laws I have decreed. Those who break them are punished by the demon hound that protects the Barrymores!"

"The white dog is a good dog. The disobedient black dog is a bad dog," the entire mob of people began to chant as they carried the dead body away from the scene and presumably to a grave.

"I was sure that the outsiders would be its next prey. You barely escaped death. Congratulations," he said as he and Angela followed the crowd. Lilliana looked within the crowd and noticed a familiar face: a fellow Grim Reaper. She didn't know him too well since only a select few actually attempted to speak to her, but she could see he was undercover to collect James' soul. She smiled with relief that she didn't have to do any work and took a deep breath so her eyes would turn green.

She jumped from roof to roof until she reached the Barrymore Castle where she barely arrived earlier than the rest. She was about to head to her room, but she heard a knock on the door. She sighed and headed for the door, but soon saw Angela open the door from the outside and letting them in. Lilliana quickly hid as she heard her say, "I'm sorry about tonight's events, but I do hope you get a good night's rest. I'll see you all in the morning, unless you decide to heed my request."

"We are not leaving town just because of some 'demon hound'. We will stay until I get permission to turn this place into a resort. I promise that it will boost your economy with tourism, so I see no reason for him to deny our proposition," Ciel said as he and Sebastian headed for the guest room. Everyone else retired to their rooms, except for Lilliana, who had something to do before she went to bed.

After Sebastian tucked Ciel to bed, he headed for his room, but he decided to stop by Lilliana's room, hoping for another night of pleasure, but she wasn't there. This concerned him since he did see her in her Reaper outfit, but she still had a couple of days off left before she went to work. He tried to enter her room, but was stopped by the blade of her Death Scythe. "Hasn't anyone told you that it is improper for a man to enter a woman's room without her permission?"

He followed the Death Scythe until he finally saw her green eyes. He laughed as he said, "I was trying to find you, but you never seem to be in your room when I need you."

" _You_ need _me_? Why on earth would the great Sebastian Michaelis need a Grim Reaper like me," she teased as she lowered her Death Scythe.

"I wanted to give you this," he said as he leaned down and kissed her. The long kiss was so passionate and tongue-filled that when they were done, they had to catch their breaths.

"I'm sure if we stay out here, somebody might see us."

"Where did you want to go?"

"Well, since you're here," she said as she pushed him into her room and quickly closed the door. She quickly rushed to him and they continued to kiss. He began to put his hands all over her body, but she pulled back and said, "Can we not have sex tonight?"

"Why? I thought you enjoyed it."

"Oh, no, I do, it's just that we've had sex every night since the funeral. Can we have one night off and just cuddle?"

"Oh, but I prepared myself for you," he said with a disappointed tone. She looked down at his crotch and suddenly placed her hand on his bulge, causing him to step back in shock.

"I guess so," she said in a surprised tone as she rubbed the hard bulge, causing him to moan a little. "But I'm still not in the mood."

"Then what am I to do about this?"

"I guess you could always . . . masturbate," she said frankly.

His eyes widened with shock. "I beg your pardon?"

"You know, masturbate; moving your hand up and down, like this" she said while stimulating his penis through his pants.

"I know what it is, but I never thought you would say that so frankly! Usually, women would find such an action taboo."

"Well, I'm okay with it. It's only natural, especially when, lust is involved," she said as she pulled back her hand. "Grell Sutcliff does it all the time." He looked at her with disgust in his eyes. "What? Not many people talk to me at work and I'll take what I can get, even if it is as graphic as that. I'm curious how he does it in the first place. Does he have . . . you know, the right parts?"

"Shut it," he said angrily.

"Does he use his whole hand or just two fingers?"

"Stop it! You're disgusting me," he said as he covered her mouth with his hand.

"Merph, mph, mumph, Merph, mph," she tried to say through his hand.

"What," he said as he let her go.

"That's the point, genius. I was hoping that thinking about him, er her, would soften you up, but apparently it didn't work."

"Did you have to use such a hideous image? I'm not sure if I'll ever get that out of my head."

"It was worth a try. After all, that would turn me off right away," she said, before pausing herself. She looked at him and saw how uneasy he was. "Would you like me to leave?"

"N-No, you can stay. I'll leave," he said as he tried to walk out, but she pulled him back.

"I don't want you walking back to your room with an erection. What if someone saw you," she teased as she fell onto her bed.

"Then, I guess I'll have to do it front of you," he said as he lay next to her.

"I can close my eyes if you want."

"No, but I think I'll need a woman's touch," he said with a perverse smile.

She sighed as she said, "Fine, but that's all you're getting." She then get on top of him and pulled down his pants, revealing his hard, erect penis. She put her hand around it and began to rub up and down, causing him to moan loudly. "When we get back home, I promise we can have a fun night, but for now-," she said, but stopped herself when her lust started to take over her.

"Your eyes are turning red," he said with a smile. She looked at him and blushed. "You're getting turned on, aren't you?"

"How could I not be? Your penis is in my hand!"

He laughed. "Are you sure you don't want anything tonight?"

"Tell you what: if I can't make you ejaculate within ten minutes, you can do whatever you want to me tonight, but if I do, then I can do whatever I want to you when we return home. Deal?"

"Fine, but I warn you, I have strong self-control," he said as he tried to pull out his silver pocket watch from his hard-to-reach pocket.

"Let's see about that," she said as she checked the time on his pocket watch. "And begin." She started stroking him fast, but although he was moaning, he was not climaxing.

After about five minutes, he said in a cocky tone, "Do you give up?"

"No, I just have to up my game," she said. She thought about it and then finally did the unexpected: she put it in her mouth. As her head moved up and down, he was moaning much louder and it seemed like he was going to climax soon. He fought the urge, but she sucked him so good that he couldn't help it. Soon, white liquid filled her mouth and she was forced to swallow it. They both looked at the watch and she smiled. Nine minutes.

"I win."

"You little cheater," he said angrily.

"How did I cheat? I made you cum fair and square; there weren't any restrictions to what I could do," she said with a smile.

"You didn't tell me you were so good at that."

"To be honest with you, that was the first time I've done it."

He looked at her in disbelief. "I don't believe you. There's no way you could be this good for your first time."

"Well, my brother wouldn't, and probably still won't, allow me to sleep with anyone, Grim Reapers normally don't have sex, and everyone would be too afraid to even try anything with me, so you were my first."

"But how could you be that good?"

"I don't know, but it could be because you can't control yourself as well as you think," she said with a teasing smile.

"Why you," he said angrily as he pulled her close to him. She shrieked a bit, but smiled as she saw how close his lips were to hers. "You little tease, but a deal is a deal and I cannot break it."

"That's right, but you can stay in my room for the night," she said before giving him a quick kiss. He pouted, but soon smiled as she laid her head on his chest. "But when we get home, I assure you that we will have a lot of fun."

* * *

"This is gotta be the worst holiday ever," a depressed Baldroy said to Finny and Mey-Rin.

"Indeed," they replied.

"What's the matter," Lilliana asked as she and Sebastian approached the sad trio. "You were so enthusiastic on the drive here."

"Yeah, but-," Finny tried to say, but he was too depressed to even continue his sentence.

"Don't look so gloom. Have you forgotten that we came to a resort," Sebastian asked as he showed them a picnic basket and a blanket. They all looked in awe and adoration since they knew exactly what he was talking about. They all ran back inside, changed into bathing suits, and ran into the lake. They were all enjoying themselves, not including Ciel, who was just reading a book by the edge of the water, and Sebastian, who was watching the young lord. However, he was enjoying the view of Lilliana in a bathing suit. Although it wasn't too revealing, he saw more skin than he normally would see when she was wearing either her maid outfit or Reaper uniform, but he wasn't subtle about his staring.

"What have you learned about Lilliana," Ciel said, facing toward his butler.

"I could only gather little more information than what she told us that night. Her brother has come back into her life, but he doesn't have any influence on her. She doesn't have interest in stealing your soul since according to her, we were the only people to actually care about her," he responded, a little startled by the sudden question.

"I hope you're right. How did you acquire this information?"

"I'd rather not say, young master."

He chuckled. "I hope you gathered this information without it costing you too much on your part."

"I assure you, young master, she didn't take anything of value from me."

"I hope so, but for now, I would like you to do something," he said as he signaled him to come closer to him so he could whisper in his ear.

After he was done, Sebastian said, "Yes, my lord; I shall do it right away."

"You're awfully cooperative for this task. I thought you hated dogs."

"Yes, I do, so I would like to wrap this up as quickly as possible," he said before leaving. Lilliana noticed him walking away from Ciel and was about to follow him, but was soon splashed by Mey-Rin, who was jealous that she was looking at him with flirty eyes the entire time she has been in the water.

"Hey, stop staring at nothing and start having fun with us," Baldroy said.

"Fine," she said as she splashed water back at Mey-Rin, but it seemed more like a wave than a splash, causing Mey-Rin to swim in fear. She tried to swim away, but it was too late and she was consumed by the wave. Everyone laughed, even Mey-Rin, especially since her glasses didn't come off.

After a while, they decided to have lunch and they joined Angela on the blanket. There were so many sweets and sandwiches provided for them by Sebastian that even the six of them couldn't eat it all, but they managed to eat a large chunk of it. "Please, help yourself, Angela," Finny said.

"Are you sure? You don't mind spending your lunch with me," Angela asked softly.

"Of course not; Sebastian makes the most delicious meals, yes he does," Mey-Rin said as she stuffed a sandwich in her mouth.

All was going well, until they heard, "He's been caught; the bad dog has been caught! James' dog is about to be punished. C'mon, it will start soon!" They all looked and saw that a small group of men were running as if they were late for a show.

"What's going on," Lilliana asked.

"They are going to punish James' dog since he's a bad dog," Angela answered.

"Punish it? How?"

"I . . . I rather not say."

"Could you at least show us," Ciel said out of nowhere, startling the servants. Apparently, he was listening to their conversation, hoping to get some useful information out of Angela.

"I'd rather not since it is too graphic and a young child like you shouldn't witness something like so cruel," she said, but her statement angered him.

"You shouldn't have called him a child," Lilliana said with a foreshadowing tone, but Ciel surprisingly kept his composure.

"I don't care; show us what happens to bad dogs."

"A-All right, but I warned you." After they packed their lunch back into the picnic basket, they changed their clothes, Lilliana being in her maid outfit, and they headed to what appeared to be a stone amphitheater, but the shows shown here were far from heartwarming. There, they saw a dog chained to the wall while other dogs were awaiting the command to kill. The people surrounding the area were chanting as if they were about to watch a fight as Lord Henry gave the command to release the hounds and the dogs ran toward the chained dog, biting it to death.

Finnian and Lilliana had a hard time watching all this go down. At one point in their lives, they were the subject of abuse and torture. However, it was Finny who yelled, "Stop! You can't do this! Get away from it!" He picked up a large and heavy wooden pole from the ground and hit the attacking dogs with it so the victim dog would be free. As he hugged the poor dog, the rest of the group came to him to make sure he was all right, but the crowd that was watching the "show" were armed with pitchforks and were prepared to use them.

"They got in the way. They interrupted our holy punishment. They are the bad dogs! Punish them," the crowd yelled. Soon, they managed to get a hold of the group and tie them to a stake, but Ciel was chained to the wall, just like the dog was before. Lord Henry watched this all go down, but didn't say a word. In fact, it seemed that he agreed with the people.

"Master, I beg you, please forgive them this one time! These people don't deserve punishment," Angela begged.

"You make a point. This Pomeranian is the Queen's messenger and if he can see reason, I might let him. Pull out of this village and advise Her Majesty never to send her minions here again," Lord Henry warned.

"You are pathetic. You would go that far to protect your tiny kingdom? You are the very definition of 'obsession'," Ciel said mockingly.

"Then learn for yourself what happens to bad dogs who challenges me. Sick him!" The dogs were soon released and they headed toward Ciel, but he wasn't scared at all. Why would he be when he had one hell of a butler? Soon enough, Sebastian came in and attacked the dogs, forcing them to be thrown to the ground by the sudden attack.

"You're late," Ciel said.

"My apologies, my lord; it won't happen again," Sebastian said. He then noticed Lilliana and was surprised to see her detained by just rope and a pole. She looked at him with cold eyes as he started to grin at the thought.

"You dare to defy me? Kill them both," Lord Henry said as the dogs began to growl loudly.

"Oh, what noisy, coarse voice they have. This is why I hate these creatures," he said before he used his demon eyes to scare the dogs. Soon, they lay on the ground with the sounds of whimpering filling the air.

"WH-What happened?! What did you do?!"

"The farce ends here, Barrymore! People of the village, listen to me: there is no demon hound! You have been lied to! Instead, it is a pathetic old man obsessed with power, determined to keep it no matter what," Ciel yelled.

"What are you talking about? What proof do you have," Lord Henry asked nervously.

"Well, we have this," Sebastian said as he showed people the skull of a dog. "We found this in your mansion. These teeth match the marks that were found on James and, everyone, look behind you." They all looked and they could see in the clouds the silhouette of the demon hound, like the one they saw last night. Everyone looked in fear, but he further explained, "The demon hound's true form is nothing but a projection and the green glow you all saw was just phosphoric dust that Lord Barrymore would sprinkle on a normal dog."

"The demon hound is merely an illusion produced by a single person: Henry Barrymore," Ciel said.

"N-Nonsense! These are wild accusations! Where's your proof?"

Sebastian crouched down to the injured dog and pulled a piece of cloth from its mouth. "Your duty is done," he said to it right before it closed its eyes for good. "I wonder why that dog was holding on to this until the very end. It's fine cloth. Recognize it," he asked as he showed Henry the cloth.

"It's . . . its-,"

"It's a scrap of your trouser, Lord Barrymore, from when the dog bit you while trying to protect James . . . from you."

Henry knew he couldn't explain this revelation and tried to run, but was soon surrounded by the people he was suppose to protect. "So _you_ killed James?! There was no demon hound?! You tricked us," the angry villagers said to the traitor.

"Give it up! You're finished," Ciel said. Soon, the crowd grabbed him and pulled him away to correctly punish him, leaving Ciel with a huge smile on his face.

"I know this is great and all, but could someone just fucking untie us already," Lilliana yelled. Soon Sebastian unchained Ciel and then proceeded to untie the other servants.

"You are quite an impatient woman, aren't you," he teased.

"Shut up! We've been tied there for quite a while," she said, pushing him out of the way.

However, all was not happy as Finny and Lilliana walked to the dead dog. "You're an amazing dog; to think you tried to protect your master to the bitter end," Finny said.

They both hugged the dog as she said, "You worked so hard! I'm glad to see it was all worth it in the end. You're a good boy."

Sebastian looked coldly as he said, "Another reason why I hate dogs." He even saw Lilliana shedding some tears for the dog, which made him angry. How could a divine being like her have any emotions for a dog? To make it worse, a dog she had never known until today. He understood Finnian's reason, but not hers.

After a while, rain started to pour and all of them headed back to manor, now with Lord Henry in the dungeon downstairs and as night fell, Ciel looked out his window and said, "Let's leave the village when the rain dies down."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said.

"I would have thought that having a Grim Reaper by my side would have prevented me from being chained to the wall, but I guess not. She must have been too distracted by the dead dog."

"I can't understand why. It's just a dog," he said as he tucked his master in bed.

After a while, he headed out into the halls and walked to his room, but was surprise to see Lilliana in there, but she was more depressed than anything. "What are you doing in my room?"

"Your room," she asked. She looked around and then said, "I'm a fucking idiot! This isn't my room." She got up from his bed and tried to leave the room, but he grabbed her arm.

"At this point, what is the purpose of us having separate rooms? We seem to share the same bed every night," he said as he brought her close to him. He then noticed the streaks of tears on her cheek and scowled. "Please tell me you're not still crying about the dog."

"Why does it matter to you," she said sharply, wiping the tears off her face.

"Why would a being like you even have any emotions toward such a vile creature?"

"Vile? That poor dog was far from that and you know it! He was a good dog," she said, almost about to cry again.

He sighed. "Why are you like this?"

She was quiet, but said, "I felt just like that dog. For the longest time, I felt chained up to a wall and the Reapers around me were the dogs biting at me until I couldn't take it anymore. My only salvation, surprisingly enough, was you, Ciel, and the other servants. If it weren't for you guys, I would have probably would have died from the bites I suffered."

Suddenly, they heard Mey-Rin scream and they all rushed down to see what was going on. They finally reached the dungeon, but they saw a very unusual sight: a giant hole in Henry's cell and a large pool of blood, as if he were attacked viciously, but no sign of Henry. What the hell happened?


	8. Training Deities

Everyone looked in horror as they examined the bloody sight. What could have possible made such a huge breach in the stone wall? Angela soon ran down to witness the scene and asked in horror, "Where is Lord Barrymore?" Suddenly, the heard continuous knocking on the front door and they all quickly ran upstairs. Angela finally opened the door and a man almost ran inside and fell to his knees.

"TH-The great demon hound is angry with us," he said weakly. They all looked in horror by his statement, especially Angela.

"How is that possible," Ciel asked angrily. He was certain that this case was closed.

"We discovered the body of Lord Barrymore. The demon hound was not pleased and killed him off. We told you it was real!"

"But just a couple of hours ago, weren't you and the other villagers convinced that _he_ was the demon hound," Sebastian asked.

"We were wrong and the demon hound has punished us. Come, I'll show you," he said as he got up and ran outside in the cold and dark rain. They rest of them followed, even Lilliana, and saw the villagers surrounding the amphitheater. In the center was the mutilated body of Henry Barrymore. The servants screamed at the sight since they didn't think such a terrible thing could happen to someone, even if he deserved it.

"The white dog is a good dog. The disobedient black dog is a bad dog. Lullaby, the sun sets. Lullaby and good night. If you do go to sleep, the dog will come down here. He'll gobble your flesh down to the bone," the villagers chanted. Ciel looked at his butler and seemed to give him an unspoken order since Sebastian walked up to the body to see if there was any sign of life, but even his hand was torn off. Ciel then looked at Lilliana and her eyes were red, but she tried to hide them with her hand.

"Great demon hound, please forgive us," many villagers started shouting. All this was too much for Angela as she fainted without warning, alarming Finnian.

"Angela," he yelled as he ran to her to pick her up.

"We shouldn't stay any longer. I'm sure the villagers will know what to do with the body," Ciel said as he headed back for the mansion.

"Yes, my lord," the servants said as they headed back, but Sebastian stopped Lilliana before she could get too far. "Is there any way you could figure out what killed him?"

"Possibly, if his Cinematic Record is still with him, I might be able to find out."

"Excellent. Report to me whatever you can find," he said as he left her side. She looked back at the body and saw that the villagers were moving it, just like they did with James. She followed them, but noticed that the same Reaper that collected James' soul was with them again. However, the Reaper looked behind him, saw her, including her red eyes, and expressed anger. He excused himself from the group and headed for her, but he was about to pull out his sword-shaped Death Scythe.

"Hey, mister, I mean no harm! I just wanted to see his Cinematic Record," she said with her arms up in surrender.

"Why would a Rogue Reaper like you just want to see a Cinematic Record? You just want to devour his soul, don't you," he said as he swung at her, but she dodged.

"Easy there! I have no intentions of doing something like that! I just want to see how he died," she said, continually dodging his attacks.

"Why should I believe you? After all, you're not supposed to work for one more day!"

"How do you know that?"

"Well, other than the fact that you haven't shown up for work all this time, Mr. Spears told everyone to keep an eye on you, just in case."

"Of course he would," she said with annoyance as she finally pulled out her Death Scythe to strike at him. He barely dodged the attack, but he soon realized he was no match for her, especially when she was angry. "I haven't devoured a soul for one hundred years and he still has to send people like you to watch me!" She managed to slice him a few times, but surprisingly, he was able to land a hit on her as his sword stabbed her upper arm, causing blood to pour out. Her eyes turned a darker shade of red as she began to attack him with more ferocity.

"It doesn't matter now. I've already collected his soul before the other villagers even realized he was there," he said with fear in his voice.

"You could have told me that in the first place and prevented our little fight," she said with anger as she lowered her Death Scythe and he did the same.

"Maybe I wanted to fight you, but I can see that was a mistake. I'll see you at work, demon Reaper," he said as he headed back toward the group of villagers that were at this point far away from the fight. She released an annoyed sigh since all this fighting was for nothing and now, she had nothing to report. She looked at her wound and slightly touched it, but the pain seemed to vanish rather quickly. It wasn't a deep cut and the rain seemed to wash some of the blood away.

* * *

"It's a shame, young master. You had already declared this a closed case. I'm sure you're rather annoyed," Sebastian teased.

"Shut up," Ciel ordered.

"Where's Angela?"

"I put her to bed for now. She seemed very tired," Mey-Rin answered.

"This village was completely isolated from the rest of society out of fear of the demon hound's curse. I thought for certain that we figured out that Lord Barrymore used this hoax so he could rule here, but he can't be if he's dead," Ciel said with annoyance.

"Are you sure those bite wounds weren't from the demon hound," Baldroy said, almost now believing in the curse himself.

"It must have been pretty mad for being blamed for Lord Barrymore's misdeeds," Finnian suggested.

"Well, there's one thing we know for sure: whatever killed him was not human," Sebastian said.

"What does that mean," Baldroy asked with fear, but received no answer.

"I think this is a good time for all of us to calm down and go to sleep. We'll solve the case in the morning, but we must rest if we want to think straight tomorrow," Ciel said as he and Sebastian headed for bed.

"Yes, my lord," the servants responded as they headed for their rooms.

In his room, Ciel was being dressed by Sebastian, but one thing was on his mind. "Is something the matter, my lord," Sebastian asked as he buttoned his pajamas.

"It's what you said: no human did this. That red-headed reaper had better not show up again," Ciel said with a bit of anger.

"I am impressed at the sharpness of your learning curve," Sebastian said with a smile.

"True, but there is no need to worry; it's not him," Lilliana said out of the blue. They suddenly turned to her direction and saw that she climbed through the window. She was soaking wet, but quickly grabbed a convenient towel to dry herself off. "He's under rehabilitation and they wouldn't release him that quickly. It took decades for them to 'control' me," she said with air quotes.

"Were you able to find anything," Sebastian asked.

"Unfortunately, no; another Reaper collected his soul before I could get to him and he wasn't too happy to see me."

"Well, that's unfortunate, but what I do know is that Mey-Rin was right about something: whatever killed Lord Barrymore wasn't happy about the blame. I don't think that anyone else will fall victim."

"That doesn't mean that I can leave it be," Ciel said.

"Is that your undeniable loyalty to the Queen," she teased.

"No, that's not it. Usually, you're a dull man, Sebastian, but wit's this case involving your dog issue, you become rather . . . fascinating," he said with a smile. Sebastian gave him a glare, but he didn't mind.

"Well, I should leave before one of the servants notices," she said as she headed out the door.

Before Sebastian could follow her, Ciel said, "Don't let your emotions distract you from your mission."

"Pardon, young master?"

"Your mission to gather information on her is taking too long and you seem to enjoy taking your time on her. Is she really that pleasurable to you? Have I found your weakness?"

He chuckled. "Don't be irrational. She is only a hard nut to crack and soon, she'll be putty in our hands."

"I hope you're right, but if I find out that you're losing focus on the task, I'll have it that you destroy her yourself."

"Yes, my lord," he said with a bow as he left the room. As he closed the door, he let out a sigh. The thought of destroying such a fine woman would be terrible for him since there's no woman like her anywhere. After all, he has been a demon for quite a long time and this is the only woman he's been happy to not only seduce, but also call a partner in crime.

* * *

"Mornin' everyone," Baldroy said with a yawn as he and the other servants, including Lilliana, entered the servant's dining room. Everyone seemed to be well rested, all but Finny, who had bags under his eyes.

"Good morning," Angela said as she brought in a tray of tea for everyone.

"Should you really be out of bed? You had a long night," Lilliana asked suspiciously.

"I'm fine, but I still have to serve my guests. I'm sorry for all the trouble. After all, my master always told me not to break courtesy in front of guests," she said with a sad tone, but turned to Finny, who seemed to be ignoring her. "Oh, Finny, are you all right? You look so pale."

He awkwardly and quickly ran toward a nearby wall, away from her touch. "Um, I-I-I'm sick! You shouldn't get too close. If you touch me, you'll catch my . . . um . . . germs! Right, germs! I'm sorry," he said before running out the door.

"He sure doesn't seem sick," Lilliana stated.

"Oh dear, the poor boy; I should find something to cure him," Angela said before leaving them. Bard soon followed since he, as he likes to put it, had to "take a leak", leaving the two women behind.

"What the hell is going on a few seconds ago? Finny was acting very strangely."

"He's probably still upset by what happened last night," Mey-Rin said.

"Last night?"

"Oh, forgive me, I said too much," she said shyly.

"No, go ahead. What were you about to say?"

She was hesitant, but said, "Finny and I were checking on Angela to see if she was all right, but instead, we saw her with . . . a man."

Lilliana's eyes widened at this revelation. "A man? Is he someone we would know?"

"I doubt it and I don't think he is one of the villagers."

"Can you describe him for me?"

"Oh, well the lighting in her room wasn't that great, but he was naked. Very naked," she said as her cheeks began to blush.

"Anything else? Did you see his face?"

"No, but we did see that he was licking her like a dog. They must have been doing . . . you know."

"Well, you got to see a show," she said with a perverse smile.

"Don't think like that! You have to act like a proper woman and those kinds of things are taboo!"

"Whatever. I'll check on Sebastian and Ciel. You should look for Finny before the love bug bites him too much," she said before leaving the room.

Mey-Rin sighed. "If only that girl would get her mind out of the gutter, she would be a lot more likable."

Lilliana looked all over for the pair, but they weren't anywhere. "Where the hell could they have gone?" She kept looking around, but couldn't find any of them anywhere.

"Looking for someone," a low voice whispered in her ear. She quickly turned around and scoffed as she saw Sebastian.

"There you are! I was getting worried about you," she said, but noticed he has a cart with him filled with tea and sweets. "Is this the young lord's breakfast?"

"Yes; he likes his sweets early in the morning, despite how many times I tell him that it's unhealthy for him."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped since he can control you so easily. I might as well come with you since I have nothing else to do."

Soon, they entered the dining room where Ciel waited for his breakfast, but was surprised to see her with him. "Today's tea features cabinet pudding made with local blackberries," Sebastian announced as he placed the plate in front of Ciel.

"You're surprisingly calm this morning," Ciel stated.

"That's because we are in no hurry, young master."

"Sebastian, Lilliana," Finny and Mey-Rin yelled as they rushed inside the main dining room. Sebastian sighed. For once, could he just get a break?

"Please calm down. What's the matter this time," Lilliana asked.

"We can't find Angela anywhere," Finny answered.

"Oh, don't worry about her. She told me that there were some medical herbs by the fen, so she was going to pick them up," Baldroy said.

"She went all by herself when there might really be a demon hound lurking around," Mey-Rin asked with worry.

"Why would she go pick some herbs at a time like this," Finny asked with even more worry.

"It might be because she was worried about you this morning. You did say you were sick," Lilliana explained.

"She did it for me?" Finny couldn't bear the thought of Angela getting hurt because of him and ran out.

"Let's go and save her before something bad happens," Bard said as started to follow Finny. "Are you in, Mey-Rin?"

"Of course," she replied.

"Tanaka?"

"Ho, ho, ho," he replied, dressed in camouflage and with a rifle in his hand.

"That's the spirit! Sebastian," Bard asked, but only received an annoyed sighed from the devilish butler. "What? Are you red-blooded or not? Someone's life is in potential danger and you're annoyed by that," he said angrily.

"I'll try to convince him to join us. You three go on ahead and I'll meet you in a bit," Lilliana said.

"Fine! Let's go men!" The servants stormed out the house as if they were commanded to go into battle and the remaining two servants only sighed.

"If they go out there by themselves, I'm sure they'll get killed. I better make sure they're okay. Are you coming," she said with slight seduction in her voice.

"You know I don't like to be around such infernal creatures," he said with anger in his voice, causing her to pout.

"It seems that we have developed a sense of urgency in our investigation. Put on a first-rate show for me, Sebastian," Ciel said. At the sound of those words, she soon took off and managed to catch up with the other four servants on their hunt for the demon hound.

"Angela," the servants called, but they received no reply. However, they did manage to find something very strange. It was what looked like a graveyard, but instead of tombstones, there were severed limbs sticking out of the ground.

"What the hell is this," Bard asked. All the limbs seemed to be decayed, except one arm that seemed fresh. On one of the fingers, there was a ring that looked all too familiar to them.

"Hey, doesn't that ring belong to Lord Henry," Finny asked, but they suddenly heard a howl and quickly hid behind a huge boulder. Soon, they saw a naked man with long white hair walk onto the macabre field.

"So, it wasn't the demon hound that killed Lord Barrymore after all," Mey-Rin said.

"What an amazing lower body," Lilliana said blatantly with a smile.

"This is no time for sightseeing," Mey-Rin scolded, but she didn't care.

"Do you think that he has some sort of grudge against Lord Barrymore," she said trying to change the subject.

"Could Angela have asked him to do it?"

"Why would you say that? She has nothing to do with it! Don't just go around accusing people like that," Finny defended, but they were soon interrupted by a mini earthquake caused by the villagers in their bathing suits running to them, or at least, in their general direction.

"What are you all doing and why are you dressed like that," Bard asked.

"We're all going to bathe under the waterfall to ease the demon hound's wrath. We heard its voice echo in the air last night," one of the villagers answered. Finny looked around and saw that the nudist was nowhere to be seen and quickly ran off.

"Finny! Wait," they yelled as they followed. Soon, they found what appeared to be ruins and stopped in their tracks as they heard another howl. However, they couldn't believe their eyes as they saw a giant demon hound looking right at them with teeth glaring, fire coming out of it mouth, and eyes red as blood.

"It's the demon hound!" It started to chase them, but Finny ran toward it when he saw a piece of cloth stuck in between its claws. He hung on to it for dear life as the demon hound tried to get him off his leg.

"Let me borrow that thing," Bard yelled as he grabbed Tanaka's rifle out of his hand and aimed to kill the beast, but as he fired the gun, they all saw confetti come out instead of a bullet. "Bloody hell! Why did you bring a party favor to a hunting mission?!" Soon, it managed to get Finny off his leg and spiked his paw down to kill him, but lucky for him, two people stopped the blow: Lilliana and Sebastian.

"Dear me, you're quite good at 'shake hands'," Sebastian said, confusing her.

"You're going to teach this thing tricks now?"

"I suppose you're right," he said as he singlehandedly flung the poor beast away from them and it hit a ruin wall.

"This is no time to be playing with a puppy," Ciel said out of nowhere, frightening the other servants, but they were relieved to see him.

"Of course not; I shall take care of everything at once," Sebastian said as he pulled out a box of treats. The demon hound's behavior sporadicly changed as the smell of the treats filled the air. "Smells irresistible, doesn't it? This is what you wanted, correct?" It soon charged at him while wagging its tail, but Sebastian showed no fear. "The best way to tame a bad dog is to bend its will and force it to be obedient. In other words: rewards and punishments!" He soon charged to the beast and it seemed to enjoy his "reward", followed by a punishment. The pattern repeated for quite some time to the point that everyone was confused at what he was doing.

"For a man who hates dog, he sure knows how to train one," Lilliana said with a chuckle.

"This is even more of a show than I imagined," Ciel said.

"And finally . . . hugs," he said as he rushed to the demon hound, but it wasn't a regular hug since he jumped in the air with him and threw it down to the ground so hard that it caused a crater.

The servants quickly ran to it to see if Sebastian was okay, but Ciel ordered, "What are you dawdling down there for? Get back here this instant!"

"Yes, my lord," his voice echoed as a puff of steam and hot water came up from the ground and on top was Sebastian holding the naked man.

"Hey, is this a hot spring," Mey-Rin asked.

"What a resort needs is a tourist attraction to be its centerpiece and what better attraction is out there than a hot spring," Lilliana said. He jumped down with ease, but the man started licking him like a dog, causing uneasiness toward everyone, especially Sebastian.

"Pluto," a feminine voice called. They all turned and saw Angela running toward them and Pluto suddenly jumped out of his arms to greet his master. "Oh, good boy," she said as she started petting him.

"What the fuck is going on here," Lilliana yelled, utterly confused by all this.

"Sorry for causing so much trouble, but this is Pluto. I found him last month and since I love dogs and he was adorable, I just had to care for him. He has a terrible habit of turning human when he gets too excited, but-," she explained, but was soon cut off.

"Don't just brush it off as a 'habit'! This isn't something that we see every day," Baldroy said.

"So, you kept him without telling anyone," Sebastian asked.

"Yes. Lord Barrymore was using the legend of the demon hound, but in truth, he feared the hound more than anyone else. I thought of what might happen to Pluto if my lord found out, but I see I was too indulgent. I never thought this sweet thing would hurt him. Please, would you be kind enough to take him to your estate? I know it's a lot to ask, but I beg you."

"K-Keep him at the estate? Um, I don't know how we would hide such a big secret," Lilliana explained.

"At Sebastian's side, perhaps even Pluto could become a good dog!"

"No thank you. I am a butler, not one hell of a dog trainer," he said.

"Why not," Ciel said with a bit of a cocky tone.

"Is this an order, young master," Sebastian asked with an angry glare.

"Yes, I find it amusing . . . in several ways," he said with a smile. Lilliana couldn't help but chuckle a bit, even when she received the same angry glare from Sebastian. Suddenly, they felt the mini earthquake again as they saw the villagers once again come to them, but this time, they seemed very happy.

"The horrible demon hound's curse is lifted. Thank goodness," they cheered as they knelt at the hot styling and began to cry.

"What's this about," Ciel asked.

"My lord, there is a legend in this village that when the sins of our ancestors against dogs are fully atoned for, the land will weep tears of forgiveness," Angela explained.

"Forgiveness," Lilliana repeated softly. "Maybe I should pay _him_ a visit today while I can."

"Don't they realize that the hot spring was here under the ground all along," Sebastian asked.

"Not likely, but our work here is done. Case closed," Ciel said. They all headed back to the estate, but Lilliana quickly packed her bag and put on her Reaper uniform. This was her last night off, so in order to spend a great night with Sebastian, she had to do this before they left.

* * *

"Why couldn't they add any color into the room? They could have at least put some red in here," Grell said for the millionth time since he was forced into this room ever since the Jack the Ripper incident. He couldn't stand being in such a colorless room and the worst part was that he'll be stuck in here until the Head Reapers knew what to do with him. So for now, they are putting him under "rehabilitation", but it was more like jail. Still, for a man with so much personality and color, this room was torture. They even confiscated his red coat that he stole from Madame Red's corpse as evidence. "I swear, who could ever stand such a wretched room?"

"I have," a voice said from outside the room. He looked in fear toward the voice and was scared to see it was Lilliana through the barred window on the door. She then opened the door with a key and entered the room, making sure she closed the door behind her. "First, you will hate the room, but you soon accept the room and the absence of your free will. In no time, you'll learn to love it and think nothing bad of it. I should know."

"I didn't think my punishment could get any worse, but here you are," he said with annoyance, but also with slight fear.

"I'm not pleased to see you either, but I have some questions I would like to ask you. Who knows, we could be fellow Rogue Reapers if the Head Reapers decide that."

"They wouldn't do such a horrific thing, you little liar! What do I have in common with someone like you?"

"Well, you broke a lot of rules, acted upon your own will, you killed people who weren't on the to-die list, and most importantly, you were in contact with a demon. If I were in their shoes, I would label you a Rogue Reaper."

"Do you mean my beloved Bassy? Oh, I would happily be a Rogue Reaper if it meant I could spend more time with him."

She gritted her teeth as she pinned him toward a wall with her Death Scythe, blade touching his throat. "No, you fucking idiot! I mean my brother, Bastille!"

"You don't have to use such language. A lady isn't supposed to hear such vulgar words or even use them." At those words, she put more pressure on his throat.

"If you keep angering me, I might slit your throat and dye your body with your own pretty red blood. You can be just like the women you killed."

"I-I prefer to keep my blood in my body, thank you, so what are your questions?"

"How did you come into contact with my brother?"

"Well, we just happened to meet. He must have been looking all over London for you, but instead, he found me, and I'm glad he did," he said in a perverted tone.

"Don't you even think about it? If you so much as look at him with those undressing eyes, I will not hesitate to kill you!"

"You wouldn't dare."

"What's the worse they can do to me? Rehabilitation; look how great it worked on me! Death; well, I wouldn't mind dying for something that I enjoyed doing."

"You are a monster," he said with fear in his voice.

"No, it's just my demonic nature. How long have you been meeting him?"

"For about a month or two! He said he wanted to free you from the Reaper Association so you guys could be a family again and in exchange, he would give me Bassy," he confessed in a fearful tone.

"But you worked for us two weeks ago."

"At first, I did it to be in his loving presence, hoping I might steal a . . . -," he said, but stopped when her eyes seemed to shoot fire into his very body. "Anyway, I changed my price when I met dear Bassy, but he hasn't fulfilled his end of the deal."

"That's because you haven't fulfilled your end of the bargain, idiot," she said as she lowered her Death Scythe, allowing him to breathe.

"Why do you have to be so rough to me? A lady should be treated delicately."

"Ugh, no matter how many times I tell you, you will always call yourself a lady," she said as she pushed back her spectacles.

"That's because I am, you bitch! Stop offending me!"

"One day I'll learn to give up the argument, but not today," she said as she started heading out the room.

"You're going to leave without a goodbye?! After all that, I think I deserve at least that!"

"I think I have something better for you," she said as she went outside and threw in the red coat. He squealed with glee as he quickly put it on as if he felt naked without it.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It feels so good to have this back, but how did you get this?"

"The point of the white room is to drive you insane by the lack of color. What evidence could a red coat be especially since they know you did the crimes? They are just trying to figure out a proper punishment for you and since you're not going under full rehabilitation, what's the point of torturing you?"

"You're a scary character, Lilliana. You go from demonic to kind in a blink of an eye and vice versa. I can see why no man is willing to even attempt to tame the beast."

"Well, Sebastian has and he has found the perfect technique," she said with a wicked grin as she left the room.

"Wait, what do you mean? You two haven't . . . -," he said hesitantly, but it was answered by a maniacal chuckle. "You little slut! How dare you do such a vile action? All I want is a kiss with some tongue!"

"Sure you do," she said as she locked the door to the room. "If I remember correctly, you said that you would bear Sebastian's children, which is more than a kiss with some tongue if you ask me."

"I was just speaking out of the heat of the moment! I bet you've done that at least once in your life."

"Well, not out of lust, but definitely out of bloodlust. Goodbye Grell," she said as she left his side.

"Wait, at least tell me how good he was," Grell yelled, but she ignored his question. "Don't leave me all hot and bothered for nothing!"

* * *

"Don't forget me, Pluto," Angela said as she put a collar around his neck, petted him one last time, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"God dammit, Pluto! If you're going into town, you need to put some bloody clothes on. Don't just let it swing in the breeze," Bard said with anger.

"Maybe he doesn't have to. I do enjoy the view," Lilliana said with a laugh, but the servants looked at her with surprise.

"Let's meet again, Finny," Angela said as she gave a kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush a deep shade of crimson.

"Well, then, shall we be off," Sebastian said, finally happy to be away from this godforsaken town.

"I'll certainly come to visit Pluto at the estate one day," Angela said.

"I wish I could refuse," Sebastian blatantly said. "Though, not many people can tame a demon hound as well as you can. You seem to have a talent for making lesser beings eat out of your hands."

"Let's go," Ciel said, forcing Sebastian to end his conversation and entering athe carriage. He whipped the reins and the carriage started moving. The servant's carriage followed suit and they said their final goodbyes to Angela. They'll see her one day, certainly.


	9. The Phantom Image of Sebastian Michaelis

Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Baldroy were nervous wrecks. The master had called them in out of the blue, which was unusual since he never called them in personally, or at least, not unless Sebastian called them for him. Lilliana, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. If the servants were going to be fired, she wouldn't be in any serious trouble. If anything, she might get a scolding for not watching them carefully, but nothing too bad. What could the young lord possibly want them for? "So, what did you want to speak with us about," she asked.

"I have a job I want you to do," he said, but to his surprise, the three servants hugged each other in relief.

"Thank goodness! I was sure he was going to fire us," they yelled in glee. Lilliana chuckled, but noticed Ciel put something on his desk.

"This is a camera said to have been in the famous Talbot's collection. It was missing for some time, but I heard it was in coming up at an auction and went to great pains to get it," he explained.

"That camera actually looks familiar," Lilliana said as she grabbed the camera to get a good look at it. The servants looked in terror in fear she might drop it, but she soon put it back on the desk with care. "Yep, I remember this camera. Rumor has it that if you photograph someone with that camera, whomever that person thinks most fondly of will appear in the picture."

"Can such a camera truly exist," Mey-Rin asked, almost in love with the idea since she loved all things supernatural.

"Shall we take a shot to test it out," Ciel asked as he aimed the camera at Finny. "Don't move. The exposure takes ten seconds." Finny did as he was told and didn't move, but he also held his breath. "If you don't remain still, the image will blur and we won't get a good picture." As ten seconds passed, he took the picture and Finny was allowed to breathe, making a loud gasp for air. "You didn't need to hold your breath that whole time."

They went to a red room to process the photo and after a while, they had their picture, but Finny was surprised to see what was on it. "Wow, it's my little pet birdie!" I gave it food every day and one day, it started eating out of my hand. I was so happy, but when I gave it a gentle tap, it stopped moving," he said sadly. They all knew too well of his superhuman strength and a "gentle tap" wasn't what it seemed.

"Y-You mean you . . . ," Baldroy tried to say, but didn't want to finish his sentence in case he would hurt the poor boy's feelings.

"Oh, I forgot to mention one thing; the only loved ones that the camera will show are otherworldly beings, or in other words, the dead," Lilliana said with a smile.

"The dead?! Like anyone would believe such an occult story in the nineteenth century" the servants said doubtfully.

"The job I have tasked you with requires all of you to focus and not screw up. I want you to use this camera to discreetly take a picture of Sebastian, but don't let him see you," Ciel said.

"So, we can see who Sebastian thinks most fondly of? Oh, this should be fun," Lilliana said with excitement.

"He's human, so he must have a weakness or two. This is our chance," Bard said, almost like a general prepping his soldiers for a battle. Ciel and Lilliana chuckled at his statement.

"I trust you can handle it," Ciel asked.

"As you wish, young master," they all answered proudly and quickly left the room, except for Lilliana, who walked with a slow pace.

"If they fail, I'm sure you can get the job done," he said before she left.

"My night job is to watch humans from afar and examine them before death. This should be a piece of cake if I get a hold of that camera," she said as she left the room.

* * *

The three servants tried many tactics to get a picture of Sebastian. First, in the library, they hid in a closet as they watched him clean, but to their surprise, he moved so fast that they couldn't snap a photo. Even Lilliana was shocked to see him clean so fast, but she couldn't get a hold of the camera to even attempt to take one. Next, they tried to get him while he was cleaning another room with Finny pushing a pool table towards him, but he managed to dodge it, causing Finny to push the pool table through the wall and outside. Third, Ciel agreed to have him come to the study so he could retie his bowtie while the servants tried to take a picture from outside on a ladder. This time, Lilliana had the camera and it was working so well until he looked their way. She ducked before he seemed to notice and he came toward the window to open it. He seemed to be looking for something, but said, "Let's air out this room a bit, shall we?"

Once he was away from the window and out the room, Lilliana said, "How hard is it to take one fucking photo of him?"

"What else can we do," Finny said with disappointment.

"I might have an idea. If he is human, there is a weakness that he must have," she said.

"And what is that," Bard asked.

"Lust."

Sebastian was busy cleaning the drawing room when Lilliana came in. He noticed her presence, but continued to clean the room like she wasn't there. However, he _did_ notice that she acted very strangely. She was looking through a closet and muttered to herself, "Where the hell did he put it?" She then bent over to look in a drawer, but it was clear that her ass was pushed out to get his attention and her plan was working . . . not for ten seconds, though.

"What are you looking for," he asked as he got closer to her.

"The young lord asked me to get a certain decorative plate, but I don't know where it's at. You know the one I'm talking about; the white one with blue and purple flowers on it," she lied.

"Oh, that plate. Well, I'm certain that it wouldn't be in any drawer," he said as he searched the closet for the plate. "But I did enjoy the view." She let out a sigh as she looked out the window. This time, Mey-Rin had the camera, despite her suggestion for letting Bard, the sharpshooter, take the picture. She knew that a lustful attempt would attract Mey-Rin's attention since she wanted to play the seducer, especially when Sebastian was involved, but they all agreed that Lilliana could play the part better.

"It doesn't seem to be here," Sebastian said as he closed the closet door. "Are you sure it's not in another room?"

"No, it's here somewhere," she insisted. They continued to look around, but he searched through every possible area with such speed that they still couldn't take the picture.

"I'm telling you, it's not here," he said.

"I could have sworn I saw it here," she said. However, she was starting to get impatient and knew there was only one way to get him still for ten seconds. She suddenly walked up to him and kissed him. It surprised not onto Sebastian, but also Mey-Rin, who stayed frozen and didn't even attempt to take the picture. Unfortunately, even that didn't last for ten seconds as he started to push her onto a nearby sofa to climb on top of her. "W-Wait, Sebastian! Don't you think this is a little sudden?"

"What do you mean? You're the one who has been asking for it," he said, but they both heard what appeared to be a scream followed by a crash and more screams. He chuckled as he got off of her and straightened his clothing. "I think that's as good of a show as any."

"What," she asked with utter confusion.

"You didn't think that I haven't noticed that you and the other servants are trying to take a picture of me, did you?" She blushed; she didn't think he knew this whole time. "Though, I am enjoying the comedic ways you try to keep me still, including this attempt. I'll admit, this one surprised me."

"B-But-," she said flustered, but he placed a finger on her lips.

"I'll be expecting more of this later, when you're not busy. The plate you're looking for is in that closet," he said as he pointed to a closet near the window. He then left the room and she looked inside the closet. Sure enough, the plate was there. That son of a bitch. She then opened the window and saw that Mey-Rin and the boys were just getting up after she accidentally pulled back on the ladder, causing it to fall backwards and she landed right on top of them.

"Did you get the picture," she asked.

"No, we didn't! What were you thinking do something like that," Mey-Rin asked, clearly jealous of what just happened.

"I hoped that he would stand still for ten seconds, but it didn't work," she yelled. "Is the camera okay?" Finny held up the camera to her and she sighed in relief. However, Sebastian was outside and heading for the three servants.

"What are you three doing here," he asked with a slightly annoyed tone.

"N-Nothing," they lied, but not convincingly.

"Well, I have a job for the three of you. I need you to take care of _that_ ," he said as he pointed to Pluto, the demon hound. He was in his hound form, which relieved everyone, but he was a handful to deal with.

"What about that mangy mutt," Baldroy asked.

"We'll be receiving a guest this afternoon. Please take that thing somewhere out of sight before he gets here."

"And where would that be?"

"I'll leave it up to you," he said before he headed back inside. "You might want Lilliana to help you."

"Come here, Plu-Plu," Finnian said as he pulled the demon hound by the collar with a sturdy leash. However, Pluto didn't want to move and tried his absolute hardest to fight against his pull. Eventually, Pluto had the brilliant idea of using his fire breath and burning the leash off him as well as Finnian.

"So, he can breathe fire now," Mey-Rin stated as Pluto headed back for the manor.

"Let me handle this," Lilliana said as she raced toward the demon hound with the camera in her hand. She saw that he was asleep and was about to quickly, but quietly, grab him and hide him, but she also thought of maybe snapping a picture of Sebastian while he wasn't looking. Lucky for her, Sebastian came outside and she quickly hid behind Pluto's sleeping body.

He saw the sleeping beast and said, "Really? They couldn't perform one simple task I'm beginning to think that it would be better for them to just be eaten by that infernal thing," he said as he placed a hand on his head in disappointment. Suddenly, he heard a meow and saw a black cat walk pass him. He immediately picked up the cat and started to lovingly pet it. At this time, Pluto woke up and started moving, causing her to be careful to not be seen by Sebastian, but also be able to take a picture of him. "What a limber body you have and such soft paws. Ah, cats are just perfect."

Suddenly, Pluto turned into his human form and ran to Sebastian. He even threw the cat out of his lap so he would be the only one to hug him. After all, Angela left him in charge of taking care of him. Sebastian sighed. "Interrupted yet again. Can't a butler get any peace around here?" He then noticed her with the camera and said, "Yet another attempted foiled, I see."

"You looked so still with your little kitty friend and I thought I could sneak a picture, but I didn't expect Pluto to move to you so suddenly. I'll get him out of your way," she said as she pulled him by the collar. "C'mon boy; we need to hide you."

Sebastian chuckled. "You're getting more desperate for a picture. Am I really that handsome," he teased.

She chuckled as she said, "Not after your little session with that cat. Now, you're just a cute demon."

* * *

"We're so sorry, young master," the servants said as they showed the blurry pictures to Ciel. "However, Bard thought of a good plan that we are sure will get him."

"I thought of it when I saw that dog breathe fire," he said.

"Absolutely no flamethrowers, especially if you're the one controlling it," Ciel said, causing the three of them to look disappointed.

"Hello, my lord," Lau said as he suddenly entered the room, surprising everyone.

"Lau, what are you doing here," Ciel asked in surprise.

"I heard you were up to something interesting and I couldn't resist."

"Go home. This doesn't concern you."

"Don't be so cold, my young lord. Why not relax and try leaving this up to me? I've already laid the spider's web to trap him and. the more he struggles, the more impossible it will be to escape. Up against me, no prey could ever stand a chance."

"Very well, but know that failure will not be tolerated, no matter what. Is that understood?"

"Of course, my lord; after all, if the Phantomhive name is sullied, I'll be booted out of this country. So, what _are_ you up to," he asked in comedic fashion causing everyone to moan in agony.

"If you didn't know what we were doing, how could you have a plan set up," Lilliana asked as she grabbed him by the collar.

"My, your servant is quite forceful, isn't she," Lau said to Ciel.

"Lilliana, have you forgotten that you are still a servant," Ciel warned. She sighed, but let him go.

"Ah, but I do like my women to be a little forceful," he said with a smile, causing her to roll her eyes in disgust.

Sometime later, the guest finally arrived and Sebastian waited for him outside the front doors. As the blonde man approached the entrance, Sebastian said with a bow, "Welcome to the Phantomhive estate."

"Hello, I'm Paul Jones, the journalist from Brit Business," the guest introduced.

"We've been expecting your arrival, Mr. Jones. Right this way, please," he said.

As he directed Mr. Jones to the dining hall, Lau, Ciel, and Lilliana looked from behind a pillar to see Lau's plan come into play. "All right, here we go," Lau said.

"I'm telling you, this plan isn't going to work. We-," she said before she was shushed by Lau's hand.

"It'll work. Trust me. No man can resist this," he said as they watched the scene play out. On top of the staircase was Ran-Mao wearing jingle bells around her ankles and her usual skimpy outfit. She was posing for attention and luckily the plan worked . . . on Paul. He was watching her the whole time, but Sebastian just passed by her and proceeded to head upstairs.

"What the hell is this? I was a fool for believing you for even an instant," Ciel asked in an annoyed tone, but also embarrassed tone.

"How could it have failed? Just look at her! I was sure even that butler would stop to stare," Lau said in disappointment.

"I'm telling you, we've already-," she tried to say before she was shushed by Lau again.

"Still, it's too soon to give up," he said before he signaled the servants. They saw his arm movements, took out their giant feather fans, and started to fan her, causing her skirt to lift up with the air. However, now Baldroy, who was supposed to take the picture, was getting distracted by the sight. The only person that wasn't getting distracted was Sebastian.

"Mr. Jones, are you coming," he asked.

Paul finally snapped back to his senses and said, "O-Of course." They continued to walk toward the dining room, but it was clear Paul was still entranced by what he just saw.

"What did I just waste my time on?"

"I've tried to say many times that this wouldn't work because we've already tried this plan," she said with anger building.

"Really? Why didn't you tell me," Lau said.

"You son of a bitch! I've tried to say that since you've thought of the plan, but you've shut me up every time I try to say something," she said with utter anger.

"Lilliana, you should calm down. I could have sworn that I saw red in your eyes," Ciel said. She then left their side to calm herself down, but also to just avoid that idiot for the time being.

* * *

"Today, we are serving Demon Hound Bean Cakes made in Houndsworth," Sebastian said as he placed a plate on his young master's desk while Lilliana poured some tea into his cup.

"Why are you serving me this rubbish," Ciel asked before eating one of the treats.

"Bard and the others appear to have purchased quite a number of them," she said.

"How did the interview go," Ciel asked.

"I wish you could have seen Tanaka's brilliant performance as company president," he said as he winked to Lilliana. In other words, Sebastian had to do the interview since Tanaka wasn't, in lack of a better term, himself.

"That's good. A distinguished old man makes a suitable face for the company. After all, I can't take public action," Ciel said.

"Quite. Before he left, he also took a photograph. Rumor has it that portrait photos have been all the rage lately among nobles. Why not try it yourself?"

"No," Ciel said as he continued to eat his treat. Sebastian had to suppress a laugh as he and Lilliana cleaned up after him and left the study.

Once they were out in the hall, she asked, "If you know we're taking a picture of you, why won't you say anything? It might save you the trouble of cleaning up any more messes."

"I told you before, I like the various ways you and the others try to keep me still. Besides, the last one was very entertaining. Don't think I didn't sneak a peek." As he said that, she started to get jealous and he smiled. "But I loved your seduction attempt a lot more." He said as he pulled her close. "It's the only one that has gotten me excited." He started to kiss her neck, but she pushed him off her.

"Now is not the time to display our affection. Can't you wait?"

"Fine, but I can't wait for long, especially if there is another seduction attempt," he said as he left her side.

* * *

"Master, are you sure you want me to do this," Finny said as he carried the heavy angel statue toward Ciel. Night had already fallen, but they decided to proceed with one more attempt before giving up the mission. The plan this time: put Ciel in danger.

"Will I be all right, Lilliana," he asked. She hid behind some trees and had the camera ready. She was wearing her Reaper uniform because right after this, she was going to work, so this better work.

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be fine," she said as she aimed the camera toward Ciel.

"All right, Finny, do it," Ciel said. He did as he was told and threw the angel very high into the air. Soon enough, the statue started falling and it was heading straight for Ciel, but he didn't flinch despite the impending doom. Finny, on the other hand, was scared that the young master would be killed and tried to protect him, but soon, there was a large cloud of dust and dirt from the destroyed statue.

"Dammit, how am I suppose to take a picture in this." she said as she gave up her hiding spot to get a closer look. Soon, the cloud thinned out, revealing that Ciel was all right, but it was Sebastian who was his savior, not Finny. Sebastian held onto Ciel like any guardian angel would, but soon they saw what appeared to be sparks coming out of the dragon statues' mouths.

"What a charming picture you two make," Lau said as he and Ran-Mao appeared from the trees, where they were hiding this whole time.

"You're late," Ciel said coldly.

"My apologies; I was preparing supper. Tonight's main dish will be Canard à la Rouenmaise," he responded.

"That's nice."

"You could have just told me to pose for a picture, you know."

"What?"

"If you had ordered me to, I would have no choice, but to do so at once," he said with a smile. Lilliana smacked her forehead at the thought.

"Why didn't we think of that," she said, camera still in her hand.

"What are you talking about," he said, still trying to play innocent. He did look at her and she showed a thumbs-up, meaning she got a picture of him.

They all headed back inside and the three servants went to process the photo. Lilliana stayed with Sebastian as he ordered Pluto to do something for him. "They're going to be really pissed after this. They worked so hard and it will be all for nothing," she said.

"Well, we wouldn't want them or the young lord to learn my little secret," he said. "Don't you need to leave soon?"

"They won't mind if I'm a little late. Only a few people care if I'm there at all and one of them is kind of locked up for his little Jack the Ripper persona," she said before she saw human Pluto running on all fours to them. He sat in front of Sebastian as he petted him.

"Good boy. Here's your reward," Sebastian said as he handed him a treat. Pluto happily took the treat from his hand and started eating it. "My lord has certainly outdone himself, thinking up an elaborate piece of mischief like that."

"And you just wasted all that planning by setting it on fire," she said as she followed him to the study. "Please, sleep outside, Pluto."

They entered the study and he said, "Excuse me, my lord. It's time to prepare for bed." However, they saw that he was already asleep in his chair. Today's mission must have worn him out. "How untidy of you to fall asleep in a place like this, young master."

"Ah, but doesn't he look so cute like that," she said before she noticed he was looking at the camera.

"If he's so cute, shall we take a picture of him," he said as he picked up the camera. "He has given me more work than necessary."

"Oh, this should be very interesting to see," she said as she watched him take a picture of Ciel, but they soon saw Pluto in human form climb the window to be part of the picture. He sighed, but took the picture anyway.

"There. Now we will see who he thinks most fondly of," he said as he set the camera down and carried his young master to bed. She stayed in the room and hid behind the door, hoping to snap a picture of him without him noticing. The curiosity of who Sebastian thought most fondly of was still a strong player in her actions and she needed to know. Soon, he came in and saw that both she and the camera were gone, but it didn't take him too long for him to find her. "Really?"

"Yes. I'm still curious about who _you_ think most fondly of," she said, but he grabbed the camera out of her hand. "Hey!"

"That, I'm afraid, you'll never be able to see, but you're free to guess," he said before he aimed the camera at her. "Care to see you think most fondly of?"

"Oh, I guess," she said with an exaggerated sigh as she remained still, but kept a smile on her face. After ten seconds, he took the picture of her and they rushed to see what was on the photo. After a while, Sebastian and Lilliana saw what was on the photos. First, the picture of Ciel and Pluto had Sebastian in it. "Oh, that's cute! He thinks most fondly of you . . . or does Pluto?"

"Well, if it's the young lord, I am honored. However, the image in the photograph is a mere illusion, but I suppose it is humanity's vain dream to preserve it, even if it _is_ an illusion in fear that one day it will be forgoteen," he said. They then looked at Lilliana's photo, but they were surprised by the person in the photo.

"Huh, that's odd. I was sure it was going to be you," she said.

"Who is that?"

"It's my brother, Bastille." The photo showed her and Bastille, but he looked as if he was watching from outside the window. "Wouldn't it show him more in the foreground instead of the background?"

"He wasn't there when I took the picture, so he must be the person that you think most fondly of," he said as he handed the picture to her.

She smiled. "I guess so. Well, I should be heading to work. See you soon," she said as she gave him a little kiss on his cheek.

* * *

Sebastian was outside cleaning the broken pieces of the statue when he heard something rustling in the trees. At first, he assumed it was Lilliana playing games with him before going to work, but he wasn't so sure since she would have said something by now. Instead, he heard a male voice saying, "So, I finally found you, Sebastian Michaelis." He looked up and saw a man wearing a tuxedo, like Sebastian. His hair was golden and his eyes were deep shade of crimson, but they showed deep hatred. "How have you been treating my little sister?"

"I thought you would be here. You just had to come by the window when I was taking a picture of your beautiful sister."

He gritted his teeth as he jumped down from the trees and said, "How dare you? She isn't a toy you can play with! She's a person!"

"It's funny. Why, out of all the demons in this world, is Lucifer's favorite spending all his time and energy on this one Reaper?"

"Why else? She is my family; my only family. I had to sacrifice so much just so she could live," he said as he took out a green sword, but not just any sword, which caused Sebastian's eyes to widen with surprise. "Oh, this? I think you and I know both know what it is. It is a demon sword and it will be the last thing you see in this world. This is your last chance, Michaelis; stay away from my sister or you will be facing a severe punishment."

"Oh, but being separated from me would surely break her heart. Who knows, the pain could cause her snap and fall back into rehabilitation."

"Why would she miss someone like you?"

"Because I have marked her with the mark of my contract with my master," he said as he used his teeth to pull off his glove, revealing his mark of the covenant. "And instead of the pain you gave her, I made sure it was pleasurable."

Bastille's eyes narrowed with anger as he said, "That's it! You'll pay for this, Michaelis!" He proceeded to attack Sebastian with the demon sword, but luckily, he dodged the attack. He started attacking him with forks and knives, but he blocked them with the sword. "Why did you have to defile her?!"

"I didn't defile her since she was begging for it. She didn't want to be pure anymore," he said with a smile.

"She wasn't pure," he said before stopping himself. "I mean, she was, but -," he tried to say, but was interrupted when they both heard Pluto in hound form coming toward the battle. For once in his life, Sebastian was happy to see that infernal creature as he headed straight for Bastille with a fiery breath. He barely dodged the fire attack, but Pluto was determined to get him. "Damn dog! Get the other demon!"

"I'm sorry to say that this demon hound only listens to me. I hope you liked being burnt to a crisp," Sebastian said with a satisfied smile. Pluto spat out many fire breaths before Bastille finally gave up the fight.

He jumped high into the air as he said, "This isn't over, Michaelis. Next time, I'll make sure you regret touching my sister!"


	10. A Show on Ice

Ciel, Sebastian, and Lilliana traveled to the Frost Fair, an event held by the citizens of London when the Thames River below the London Bridge was frozen and it was safe to walk on. It held many tents that sold various items, from clothes, spices, trinkets, and so much more. Some business owners that Ciel knew personally were going to be there, but he was there for other reasons. However, Sebastian and Lilliana marveled at the festivities. Ciel was dressed in a warm coat while Sebastian wore his usual tuxedo. It didn't really matter for a demon to stay warm. He could just go to Hell whenever he pleased. Lilliana was in her Reaper uniform since she said that pants were a lot warmer for her than a dress. "Huh, so this is the Frost Fair. I haven't seen one for a long time," she said.

"I am told this is the first Frost Fair on this scale since 1814," Ciel said.

"Oh, I remember that fair. All went well until the ice cracked and some people caved in. I had a lot of work that day. . . . Speaking of work, I heard that a dear friend of mine has a shop here. I'll see you all a little later."

"Wait a minute, you have a job here with us," he said angrily.

"What can a maid do that a butler can't? Besides, I need to talk to my friend because of a certain job I had to do last night. I'll see you all in a little bit," she said before running off.

"Lilliana," he yelled, but she was too far gone. "She may be a Grim Reaper, but she's still a servant! You are a more loyal servant than her and you're a demon."

"There's no need to be so harsh, young master. I'm sure she has her reasons for leaving. Besides, she has been a loyal servant for this long," Sebastian said.

"I'm starting to question her loyalty," he said.

"But you entrusted her to take that picture of me," he teased.

"I only did that because I thought if anyone would be able to take the picture, it would be her, but it seems that she couldn't manage to even do that. Regardless, I fear that her demon brother might be influencing her somehow."

"Why would you say that, my lord?"

"You and I both know that her brother was lurking around the estate. I heard Pluto making a ruckus and you were fighting a man with a sword. That was him, I presume?"

"Yes."

"What did he want? Does he have any intention of stealing my soul?"

"Actually, he wanted his little sister back."

"Really? Then why didn't you just give her away? We can live without her lurking around."

"I view her as a vital source from the dead. If we lose her now, we would have more difficulty with cases in her field of expertise."

"Are you sure that's not all, Sebastian?"

He laughed. "I'm certain, my young lord."

* * *

"I'm surprised to see you here. Did you come alone or with the young Earl and his butler," Undertaker said as she entered his shop set up in the Frost Fair.

"I came with them, but I'm just curious about that ring that my last assignment stole before he died. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who wanted it," she said as she sat on top of a coffin.

He giggled. "The Hope diamond, you mean? Its beauty and value bewitches its many owners to seek it, even if it meant that it would lead to their imminent destruction. It's quite an interesting piece, don't you think?"

"Sure, but the man that killed him mentioned something about it needing a 'worthy owner'. What do you think he meant?"

"How should I know? You don't even know who this man was and you saw his Cinematic Record."

She sighed. "I know, but his statement has been bothering me all night. We should find that Hope diamond before it falls into the wrong hands or before it finds its 'worthy owner'."

"Are you trying to figure this out because your young master was assigned to this case?"

"Not this time, or that is, not now. Who knows, the Queen might assign him this task as we speak." At that statement, he started to giggle.

She was about to leave the shop, but he said, "I heard from some Head Reapers that we might have an American recruit working with us for a while."

She stopped in her tracks as she said, "Really? Do you know anything about the recruit?"

"Not much; she was the top Reaper in her sect and they assigned her out here since one of her assignments is immigrating here."

"Hm, I guess I'll keep an eye out for her. We don't get any female Reapers, so it will be interesting to meet her."

"You won't be the only female Reaper in your sect for a while," he said with a laugh.

"Well, unless you count Grell, but he's more like half a woman," she said with a chuckle.

Suddenly, they heard someone yelp and fall into the shop through the curtain door. Inspector Abberline quickly got up and said, "Why would you have a door pattern on a curtain?"

"Why would I have a door in a tent," Undertaker said as he started to laugh and she quickly followed suit.

"Stop laughing! This is serious," he said angrily, but they continued to laugh even louder. Soon, Ciel and Sebastian came in, surprised by the sudden burst of laughter.

"You're amazing! I tell you, you're in the wrong profession. You could rule the world with comedy," Undertaker said, trying to recover from his laugh attack.

"What did you say to him," Ciel asked with utter surprise.

"I-I have no idea! I was just talking to him normally, or as normally as I could, but then they started to laugh like mad."

"How unexpected; Abberline, you are a man to be feared," Ciel said under his breath.

Sebastian gave Abberline a cold stare as he said, "It appears that you are rather skilled, Inspector."

"But I didn't do anything-," he said before stopping himself. He was too afraid of Sebastian to finish.

"So, this was your important duty that couldn't wait," Ciel asked Lilliana.

"Well, yeah. A man died here last night, but he held onto a certain ring that I found interesting," she said.

"The Hope diamond," Sebastian asked.

Her eyes widened with surprise. "How do you know?"

"The Inspector told us everything about it. We are now involved in finding the man's murderer. Have any ideas," he asked.

"Sadly no; I couldn't see anything," she said with a disappointed tone.

"Undertaker, tell me more about the ring," Ciel ordered. "We're told that a frozen corpse you took care of this morning had it.

"As an upstanding citizen of London, I call on you to cooperate with us. Please, tell us all you know," Abberline said.

Undertaker giggled as he said, "I'm profoundly impressed with you, Inspector. I'll tell you all about it. The ring is on an ice sculpture."

"An ice sculpture? Where? Show us," Ciel ordered. Undertaker guided the group, including Lau, to the ice sculpture underneath the London Bridge. Once they were close enough, he pointed to it and said, "You see? It's right there." They looked closely at the sculpture of a powerful woman and saw that the ring was around a finger, a truly difficult skill to master.

"Huh, I wonder how they did that," she said with curiosity. Abberline looked in horror since evidence was not only was being tampered with, it was being displayed. Ciel and Sebastian thought of how to get it off the sculptor without being seen.

Lau admired the piece as he said, "It looks like the artisan happened to find the frozen ring and designed a sculpture to complement its beauty."

"Collect the ring! Right now," Abberline ordered to some nearby guards.

They tried to remove the ring, but they were stopped when they heard, "What do you think are you doing, you fiends?!" They all looked and saw what appeared to be an angry group of judges storming to them. One of them surprised them all: Viscount Druitt.

"That is the sacred lady bestowed on the victor. You wouldn't want to defile her, would you," he said in his usual romantic tone.

"Why would anyone allow _him_ to judge this contest," Ciel asked to only the group around him, still utterly shocked by the fact the man that tried to sell him to a group of human traffickers was not only here, but out of jail.

"Wasn't he arrested by the Yard for human trafficking," Lau asked.

"He was released the other day," Abberline explained. Ciel was disgusted by the fact that a man like him could be free only because he has a lot of money. Abberline walked to the judges and said, "Excuse me, but Scotland Yard will be taking charge of this sculpture."

"Oh no; this frost fair is a festival for the citizens," a man with a large white beard barked back. "Even Scotland Yard can't disrupt it.

"Just look at it. Beauty is something to be admired. You mean to violate this noble lady. If you insist on having her, offer something of equal beauty," Druitt said.

"What a hypocrite," Lilliana said.

"Just what I would expect from Lord Druitt, the lover of art, beauty, and love," the old man said. "He's quite right. If you want this sculpture, win it in a contest."

"I see; there's merit in that. The ring belongs to the winner; nice and simple. Don't worry, Inspector. Well get the ring," Ciel said.

"But that is stolen property and key evidence in the serial kidnapping of young girls-," Abberline yelled out, but soon covered his mouth after the last phrase. He was not supposed to say that information to anyone else, especially the young lord.

Ciel smiled. "Aha, I see why the Yard would be searching so frantically for it."

"But it's the truth that each owner of the ring disappears. It really is a cursed stone and you're going to try to win it-," Abberline said before he was interrupted.

"Then it suites me all the more," Ciel said as he looked at his ring.

"Come to think of it, I seem to recall that your family ring possesses a pretty blue stone. You should take care of it," Undertaker stated. "Diamonds are quite hard, but because they are hard, they are also brittle. If you go too far, you may be shattered as well."

"What of it? This body and this ring have already been shattered and then reborn. I'm far past being afraid of shattering," Ciel said before turning to his butler. "Win the contest, Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord," he said with a bow. He then went to Lilliana as said, "I would request your help."

"Well, I've got nothing else to do," she said as she walked with him to fill out an entry form.

Viscount Druitt looked their way, saw her, and seemed to instantly fall in love with her. "Oh my; what a beautiful creature! Such an unusual woman she is! She defies the laws of society by not wearing a dress! Her eyes green as the perfectly ripe olives grown in the tress of Italy! Her hair black as the ravens that fly in the sky crying 'nevermore'! Oh, and some of those locks cover her eye to add a sense of mystery to her; a mystery that I would like to uncover. Oh darling, how I would love to worship thee," he said as he approached her and began to kiss her hand and slowly up her arm, utterly disgusting her. However, Sebastian stopped his acts of "love" before it got any further.

"Excuse me, but the lady would not like to be treated in such a way. I'm terribly sorry," he said, trying to hide the fact that he was getting a tiny bit jealous.

"Oh, but what woman wouldn't want to be treated like a queen if not a goddess?"

"Be careful because you might encounter the goddess of death in your future," she said as she stormed off.

Undertaker laughed at the little scene that played out, alarming the people around him. "What's so funny," Ciel asked.

"Oh nothing really; she just somehow gets a lot of attention for a woman that doesn't want it," he said.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, I now open the Frost Fair's customary snow and ice sculpture contest," the announcer said. "You have until 3 o'clock to complete your masterpiece! Now begin sculpting!" As time passed, many groups, including a suspicious group of Irishmen, began working on their ice sculptures and while some put all their time and energy into a small sculpture, Sebastian and Lilliana worked effortlessly on their large sculpture. Soon, time was up and the announcer said, "All right! It's time to judge. First, we have team Scotland Yard and Its Merry Men with 'The Guardian of London'!" The officers saluted to their stature of Sir Arthur, but no one else saw the beauty in it, receiving a total score of five out of fifty points from the judges. "Next, we have an entry from team All China Dresses Should Be Minis." However, the sculpture had to be covered since it was a just a naked sculpture of Ran-Mao. "However, I'm afraid for obvious reasons, I'm disqualifying it."

"But why," Lau asked with Ran-Mao by his side, totally unashamed by the sculpture.

"How could you possibly think it was all right to display that here," Ciel asked in anger.

"I think hiding bits like that makes it even more erotic," Lau said, not really answering the question. The judges gave it an X score for disqualification, except Viscount Druitt, who gave it a ten, receiving a higher score than Scotland Yard.

"You can win, can't you Sebastian and Lilliana," Ciel asked.

"Of course; you had ordered us to do it, so we will not fail," Lilliana said.

"Next, from team Queen's Puppy, 'Noah's Ark'," the announcer as they showed a large scale of the Noah's Ark toy that Ciel and Sebastian saw earlier. Everyone was shocked to see that two people managed to complete such a large scale sculpture in the little time they had. Sebastian and Lilliana smiled at the easily impressed crowd. "Such an amazing piece indeed! Let's see what the judges think."

"One moment, please. You haven't seen all of the sculpture yet," Sebastian said before Lilliana snapped her fingers. At the sound, the top of the ark split in two and fell to the ground, revealing an even more elaborate display of animals inside. Everyone admired it in awe at such wonder and beauty.

"Brilliant! He deliberately made the seam of the roof weak so that it would melt over time and slip apart," the old judge said.

"The brave man who stood fearlessly against the relentless storm of God's wrath; his name: Noah! He and the pair of beasts he led rocked on the waves, waiting for their rebirth," Viscount Druitt said.

"Bravo, you two! This is a true work of art. I mark you two as skilled sculptors," the old judge said.

"No, you are too kind. I'm simply one hell of a butler," Sebastian said with a smile.

"All right, let's see the scores," the announcer said.

"Hold on right there," an Irishman said next to the prized ice sculpture. "Sorry, but this ring belongs to us and we're taking it back."

"What? That means that you are-," Abberline said.

"That's right. We're the team of bomber thieves that all of London is talking about," the man said as he revealed a belt of dynamite around his waist. As he held up a lighter, he continued, "I'll count down from ten. If you don't want to die, I suggest you get the hell out of here." As he began to count down, many people started running for their lives, except for the trio and Scotland Yard.

"My orders remain the same. Do it now, you two," Ciel said.

"Yes, my lord," they said.

Abberline saw that Ciel wasn't going anywhere and said, "What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and run, Ciel!"

"You can run if you want. Don't worry; I'll be fine."

"I can't do that! I joined the police to protect the citizens," he said before running to him, but he was stopped as a bullet aimed for his feet barely missed him.

"Stay away," the bomber said with a gun in his hand, but he turned to Ciel and said, "Only three seconds left. You sure you don't want to run, little nobleman?"

"There's no need because-," he said before Sebastian ice-skated to them, knocking the gun out of his hand. They all looked in shock and tried to shoot him, but they missed every shot. Eventually, Lilliana ice-skated to the other bombers and knocked the guns out of their hands. The two deities could have been mistaken for an ice-skating couple by the way they skated on the ice perfectly, even receiving a perfect score from the judges for laughs.

"You bloody little brat! Get blown to smithereens," the bomber said as he lit a stick of dynamite and threw it toward Ciel, but Sebastian and Lilliana grabbed him away before he could be killed. "Damn you monsters," the bomber said as he threw more sticks of dynamite at them, but Lilliana and Sebastian kept throwing him back and forth to avoid the continuous blasts.

"Please, stop, Boss! Have you forgotten that we're standing on ice," the other men said before the ice started to crack and eventually, all three and the prized ice sculptor fell into the freezing river below.

"Sebastian," Ciel yelled before Sebastian threw him into the air, causing Ciel to scream at the top of his lungs. Luckily for him, Lilliana caught him on the deck of the Noah's Ark ice sculptor, which by now was miraculously floating. Everyone stood in amazement as they marveled at the miracle of Thames. "Was tossing me around like that really necessary?"

"I apologize, my lord, but we did have an audience and I thought it was best if we put on a little show," Sebastian said with a teasing smile.

Ciel scoffed as he said, "The Hope piece will sleep safely at the bottom of the Thames. I suppose that end has its own charm. If that's all it takes to destroy London or this nation, they were never meant to survive. After all, the Phantomhives have always survived." He turned to Sebastian and said, "You said that Noah was arrogant, but don't you think it's more arrogant and foolish to think you can save everyone or even want to do such a thing."

"So it would seem," he replied.

"But an idiot of that sort every now and then might not be so bad," Lilliana said as they all laughed.

Soon, the trio returned to the estate and the servants greeted them with their usual, "Welcome back, young master!" However, Ciel didn't respond back, but instead headed for his study. Even though it was late in the evening, he said he had work to do before he went to bed. He asked Sebastian to accompany him, but not Lilliana, which concerned the deities. Still, she obeyed her master's wishes and walked to her room.

Inside the room, Ciel said, "Sebastian, I want to know your relationship with Lilliana."

"What do you mean? She's a fellow coworker and nothing more," Sebastian responded, a little too quickly to be natural.

"I don't believe you. You two seem to have a certain . . . liking toward each other and I doubt it's because you two are immortal beings," Ciel said angrily.

"That's all it is."

"Sebastian, I order you to tell me the truth: what is your relationship with her?"

He sighed as he said, "I'm afraid that it wouldn't be appropriate to say such acts to a child."

"I'm not a child!"

"That is something that a child would say."

"You know what; you can leave now and enjoy your fuck buddy! I will not hear such insults from you!"

Sebastian was surprised by his young master's vulgar vocabulary, but smiled as he said, "Yes, my lord."

He was about to leave the room when he heard Ciel say, " _After_ you help me prepare for bed."

* * *

"Today was rather chilly, don't you think," Lilliana asked as she lied in her bed with Sebastian. There was wine on the nightstand and by now, they have drunk almost the whole bottle. Although deities could not get drunk, it was still fun to drink and pretend they were.

"It sure was, but it's nothing compared to what I've seen in Hell," he said with a laugh.

She laughed too as she said, "True; the worst winter I've endured was in 1513 when England seemed to be under an ice age. A lot of humans died that winter, but I wasn't working as a Grim Reaper then. In fact, I might have contributed to that number."

"You are quite mischievous, aren't you?"

"Of course; after all, my brother is a demon and he taught me everything I know."

"Well, not everything. You were never allowed to experience the pleasures of lust," he said with a perverse smile.

"Well, for someone who had little experience, I was able to give you more pleasure than you would like to admit."

"He-he, let's not be too cocky," he said in an almost embarrassed tone.

"But I can't say I was a hundred percent inexperienced. After all, I've watched many people over the years and they sometimes partake in some fun activities, but I was always curious how it felt. Even as an honorary demon, I wasn't allowed to wallow in such a pleasurable sin."

"Why don't we wallow in it now," he said as he leaned in close to give her a passionate kiss. Oh, those kisses were the only thing that she would die for. His tongue caressed hers with a fiery passion to the point that they were both breathing hard. He started to put his hands all over her and kissed her neck, but she pushed him off her. "Not now, Sebastian. I have to go to work soon and the last thing I would want is for people to see a hickey on my neck, especially Grell."

He then angrily pushed her further in the bed as he said, "Don't mention that debauched creature's name here."

"Sorry," she said, but was soon interrupted by another passionate kiss. With him on top of her, she couldn't help but accept it. After a while of kissing and groping, she pushed him off her suddenly to say, "Fine, but make it quick."

* * *

"Can I have everyone's attention, please," William said to everyone in the room. Every Reaper was supposed to be in attendance before going to work, but of course, they were missing a certain Rogue Reaper. "As you all have probably heard, there will be a recruit from America working with us for a while. She is the top in her sect and she will be with us until her assignment's soul is collected. May I introduce to you all Katia Vendoa?" The group clapped as they saw a young woman with long, curly, blonde hair and bright green eyes surrounded by black slim spectacles enter the room. She had a bright smile on her face with red lipstick to emphasize it. She wore a short-sleeved white collar shirt with a black skirt, which surprised them all since the only other female Reaper they knew wore male clothing. Skirts and dresses were always out of the question.

"Nice to meet you all," she said in an American voice as sweet as candy. Everyone seemed to like her already, except for a certain redhead.

"Ah, I thought you were going to get us a gorgeous man," Grell said. He was finally out of rehabilitation, but he was demoted due to his crimes. His chainsaw Death Scythe was taken away from him and replaced with scissors, which he despised. Ever since then, he has been in a very bad mood.

Suddenly, they all heard the door open and saw Lilliana hurriedly come in. However, her hair was a mess and her clothing was wrinkled. "Sorry I'm late everyone. I couldn't get out of work until a few minutes ago. What did I miss," she said in her usual somewhat apologetic tone.

Will fixed his glasses and sighed as he said, "How many times do I have to tell you to come to work on time, Ms. Kiliamo?"

"You don't think that I try to come on time? It's not my fault that my master won't let me go until he goes to bed." Lilliana soon noticed the new Reaper staring at her, almost as if she was somehow entranced by her appearance. "Who is this?"

"This is Katia Vendoa, a recruit from America. She will be working with us until her special assignment is complete," William said, but Katia quickly ran up to Lilliana.

"N-N-Nice to meet you," she said in a very nervous tone as she held out her hand.

Lilliana shook it as she said, "Nice to meet you too. My name is Lilliana Kiliamo." Katia couldn't help herself from smiling like a teenager who had a major crush.

"Since she'll need to familiarize herself with the huge city of London, I'm assigning her to work with Grell Sutcliff for a week," Will said.

Grell looked at him curiously as he said, "Why me? I don't have time to be babysitting some little American girl!"

"This is part of your post-rehabilitation duty. If she starts to act up, the Head Reapers and I will have no choice, but to send you back. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, honey, but I can't see myself stooping so low as to play tour guide to a tourist!"

In a frustrated tone, Will said, "You will do this or we will further demote you, do you understand that?"

"Fine," Grell said with an annoyed, exaggerated sigh.

"That's sweet and all," Katia started to say. "But would it be fine if I worked with the only other female Reaper in the room?"

"Excuse me," Grell asked in an insulted tone. "How fucking dare you! Are you blind or just stupid?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know," she said very apologetically, but Lilliana couldn't help, but laugh. This was all too hilarious for her.

"What the hell are you laughing at," Grell yelled with anger in his voice.

"Sorry, but this is too funny," she said in between laughs.

"Shut up, you two," Will said as he quieted the scene. "Like I said, Katia will work with Grell for at least a couple of days so she can familiarize herself with the city. After that, she can work with any person she chooses. Understood?"

"William, you are a sexy man, but you can get on my nerves sometimes," Grell said. "I'll do this if you'll go on a date with me."

"Don't be absurd! Do you want to be sent back to rehabilitation?"

"No, no, it's fine. I'll do it," he said with defeat. Katia looked in disappointment since she wasn't able to work with such an interesting woman.

As the duo traveled around the city, Grell showed Katia the secrets of London, good and bad, but she couldn't keep focus. Her mind was preoccupied and she kept staring at the sky. "Are you even listening to me?"

She blinked her eyes as she quickly replied, "Sorry, what were you saying?"

Grell sighed in agony as he said, "This is why I hate Americans. For a foreigner, you just want to be lost, don't you?"

"Sorry, but it's just I have a lot on my mind right now."

"What could you possibly be thinking about that's got you all ditzy like this?"

"Well, I found your coworker quite attractive."

"William? Oh, I know and I just can't wait for the day that he will finally see me as the woman he secretly wants and just take me," he said in a daydreaming tone. "But he's mine!"

"Oh, no, not him. I mean Ms. Kiliamo."

"Lilliana?! Why? How can you find anything attractive about her," Grell asked in total shock.

"I don't know, but she looked rather beautiful and I like a girl who can defy authority. That shows confidence to me and I love it," she said with a romantic tone.

"Well, I suggest you stay away from her," Grell warned.

"Why?"

"No one told you? She is a Rogue Reaper."

"I know plenty about Rogue demons, but not Rogue Reapers. I thought they only existed in myths. She's an actual Rogue Reaper?"

"Yes. Her brother is a demon, and a sexy one at that, and he taught her how to be a demon before we 'saved' her, but if you ask me, she should have stayed with her brother. She has no business here and I believe all the time they spent on her was a waste."

"Oh, a dangerous woman; it makes me attracted to her even more," she said with a squeal.

"I can't understand people like you. Danger does not equal attractiveness," Grell said, ironically ignoring the fact that two men he's in love with are demons. "For your own safety, stay away from her! She could kill you if you make her angry or maybe find a way to devour your soul."

"Well, I won't make her angry, plain and simple."


	11. However You Please, My Forlorn Master

The servants, including Lilliana, were cleaning most of the snow off the courtyard of the estate. It was a lot of work, but with their combined efforts, they were able to do a lot already, though, she was doing most of the work since the servants somehow managed to make more messes than necessary. However, one thing was on their minds. "I cant understand why can't we celebrate? Tomorrow is an important day for the young master," Finnian started to say.

"It's a special occasion, so I wish it could be flashy, lively, and fun, but . . .," Mey-Rin said, but they soon noticed a carriage heading their way. Only a few people would come at this time of year, but they soon knew who it was when they saw the blonde hair and pink dress.

"Hello everyone; I'm here," Lizzie said in her usual gleeful nature.

"Shit," Lilliana said under her breath before she greeted the young lady and her maid, Paula. She cleared her throat and said, "Hello, Lady Elizabeth. What brings you here today?"

"Oh, hello, Lilliana. I'm here to give Ciel something I'm sure he'll love," she said as she rushed to the front door, but Lilliana tried to stop her.

"I'm sorry, but my master has a very busy schedule today. Would you mind coming another time?"

"Aw, but I want to see him now! I'm sure when he sees me, he'll clear his schedule," she said as she finally pushed her away and pushed the door open effortlessly.

"Dammit. If I had my Death Scythe, I could have stopped her," she said under her breath.

"I can't wait until she gives him that ring. Afterwards, I can ring these bells. Jingle, jingle," Paula said with glee as she rang the jingle bells in her hands.

"Ring?"

"Oh, I don't mean ring, I meant-," Paula said in a frantic manner, but she sighed in defeat. "It's the present that my lady thought would bring a smile on her fiancé's face. I hope she's right," she said as she rushed for her master. Lilliana soon rushed in to prevent her from seeing Ciel, but it was too late since she was hugging him so tightly he could barely breathe. She rushed up to separate them, but she noticed that Sebastian wasn't doing anything, so she decided to not do anything either.

"Here, this is for you. Hurry up and open it, won't you," Lizzie said as she placed a small red present in Ciel's hands, but as he proceeded to open it, she noticed that the ring she thought was broken was on his thumb, completely repaired. She grabbed his hand and examined the ring. "Hold on a moment. I thought I broke this! How . . .?"

"Oh, fortunately, Sebastian was able to repair it," Ciel said.

"What? But it was chipped and I don't see any cracks!"

"Yes, but if I couldn't do something so simple-," Sebastian started to say, but was interrupted.

"Then what kind of butler would you be," Lilliana finished. He chuckled. Perhaps he has said that phrase one too many times.

"I see . . . Sebastian fixed it. That's . . . great news," Lizzie said in a heartbroken tone, which surprised everyone since she was usually so cheerful.

"So, what do you have in that box, Lady Elizabeth," Lilliana asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing! It's a secret," she said in a suspicious tone as she forcefully grabbed the box out of his hands.

"Didn't you just say you were giving it to me," Ciel asked in utter confusion.

Lizzie let out a nervous laugh and she said coyly, "I was just teasing you. No proper lady would try to win her gentleman with material things. That would be disgraceful. Now, Paula, ring the bells."

"Y-Yes, my lady; jingle, jingle," Paula said as she rang the jingle bells again.

"Well, then, have a good day," Lizzie said as she and Paula quickly left the estate and into their carriage.

"So . . . what did Lizzie come here for," Ciel asked.

"Tomorrow is your birthday, my young lord. I imagine that's the reason," Sebastian said, but at those words, Ciel seemed to have a somber look on his face. "Why not hold a birthday party? After all, it seems there are others who wish to celebrate you, too."

Ciel was quiet, but soon muttered as he remembered the bitter memories, "My birthday . . . my mother would let me sleep in her bed and my father would give me a present. I had been eagerly looking forward to it. That day . . . my life changed. I will never see a happy birthday again." After a moment of silence, he finished as he walked away, "This is ridiculous. Bring tea to my room."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said, but he felt the sense of despair and pain in his master's sudden change of mood. He knew that his birthday was filled with painful memories of his parents' death and him being sold into ritualistic slavery, but all he wanted to do was help his young master recover from such a traumatic experience.

"I could only imagine why he wouldn't want to celebrate his birthday," Lilliana said.

"The pain is much deeper than you might think," Sebastian said.

"Don't forget that I collected his parents' souls, even though they were malformed. Everything went to shit on his birthday."

"That's why I was hoping the young lord would try to forget those memories through a birthday party."

"Good luck trying to convince him. He is a stubborn child."

* * *

"Elizabeth has vanished," Ciel asked.

"Yes. Her personal maid says she lost her while stuck in traffic in Islington," Sebastian explained.

"Then that's where we are headed. Honestly, what was she thinking?"

"First, young lord, you should look at this," Sebastian said as he handed him a letter from the Queen. Ciel took it from his hand and read what it had to say.

"These are the kidnappings Scotland Yard is frantically investigating that only targets young girls. Their bodies haven't been found, but they're most likely dead. The kidnapper sends a Hope piece to each victim in turn. I never thought the treasure I lost out on would come up again in this connection," he read as he examined the pictures of the young girls captured.

"What now, my lord," Sebastian asked.

"We dispel Her Majesty's worries; that's our first priority, no matter what happens and this time, I don't want to involve _her_ with this."

Sebastian looked at him with shock as he said, "Why not? She could tell us if the girls are dead or not."

"I don't want her to interfere with our work. Besides, this might be a good break for you," Ciel said with a smile. "If I remember correctly, she is away on other duties right now, so we shouldn't bother her."

Sebastian sighed as he said, "As you wish, my lord."

* * *

"Same old, same old," Lilliana said as she looked at a Cinematic Record of another homeless young woman who died of hypothermia. This woman had an unfortunate life. She got pregnant at fifteen by a man who raped her and she was forced to bear the child, only for it to be a still born. Her parents threw her out, thinking it was all her fault and she has lived on the streets since. However, Lilliana has seen Cinematic Records like these all the time to the point it got boring. "Why can't someone live or die an original way for once?"

"Why did I have to come with you? You seem to handle things on your own. That brute, William, really thinks I'm just some useless woman who can't do shit," Grell said in annoyance.

"How many times do we have to tell you that it's your fault since you decided to work with Madame Red and murder some prostitutes? You even killed her since she wouldn't kill her own nephew!"

"How dare you? They were ugly creatures and I made them beautiful with their red blood and I killed Madame Red since she didn't have the guts to do what was necessary."

"For a neutral deity, you sure are biased."

"Oh, that's not hypocritical at all! You act more demon that Grim Reaper!"

"And that's why I'm a _Rogue_ Reaper. If you were smart, you would shut up."

"But why do I have to play the role of a leashed dog especially since my 'master' is nothing more than a burden!"

"He said he wanted you to learn how I handle my Rouge Reaper behavior on the job; a lesson you desperately need. You can't get your old post back until you collect some truly troublesome souls."

"Why did that rotten sadist have to task me such a distasteful mission? Though, I must confess that I like rotten food now and then and those cold, brooding eyes of his could warm me up on a freezing night," Grell said as he embraced himself.

Lilliana rolled her eyes as she said, "Anyway, we're done here. We just have one more soul to collect and we'll be done for the night."

"I don't want you to finish. The sooner you get back to your petty maid job, the more time you have to seduce my Bassy!"

"How many men are you in love with?"

"Only a few and I love them all equally. Still, I would love it if you didn't put your filthy hands all over my delicious demon."

"Which one: Sebastian or my brother."

"Oh, I haven't seen Bastille in such a long time! How is he? Is he as delectable as ever," Grell said with lust in his voice. Lilliana got angry and pulled out her Death Scythe.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I hate it when you talk about him like that?"

"And how many times do _I_ have to tell _you_ that I don't want you defiling my dear Bassy! I think at this point, were even."

Lilliana soon lowered her Death Scythe and said, "Like I said, one more soul and then we're done for the night."

"You can go ahead and collect it. I'm going to find Bassy," Grell said as he hopped onto the roof of a house and started jumping roof to roof.

"Hey, we have to do this together! Come back here, you bitch," she said as she chased after him.

The chase continued for a while until they heard a familiar voice said, "Don't start rutting here!"

"A gentleman looking for a mate? Perhaps I can help. Oh, my heart's going pitter-patter at the thought," Grell said as he stopped suddenly. "I am a hunter of love! My heart is ablaze seeing sexy prey before me! Red is the color of fiery passion and I am flaming. Red and heat, sending sparks flying! I spot a gorgeous man!" However, his monologue was stopped as Lilliana bumped into him and they both fell to the ground. Luckily, they both landed on their feet, but the feud continued. "Hey! Watch where you're going! You could have killed me!"

"You dumbass; we're Grim Reapers! We don't die easily like humans can! Besides, you're the one who stopped for no fucking reason!"

"How rude! You don't even apologize for pushing me?! I think those are fighting words," he said as he pulled out his _deadly_ safety scissors.

Lilliana laughed. "How can you possibly beat me when I have an actual Death Scythe?"

"They may be small, but I can assure you that I am a more _deadly_ efficient butler than I look, well, that is, one currently without a master."

"Ahem," the voice said. They both looked at where the sound was coming from and they saw Ciel with a fully-clothed Pluto at his side.

"Oh, hi, Ciel," Lilliana said as she lowered her Death Scythe. "I didn't expect to see you here, especially this late at night."

"Oh, great; the brat is back," Grell said with sassy sarcasm. "I don't see Bassy here. What could a little brat like you do without him?"

"Shut up," Ciel said with impatient anger. The last people he wanted to see tonight were right in front of him.

"Yeah, that's true. Where is Sebastian," Lilliana asked.

"It doesn't concern you, Lilliana," Ciel answered rather coldly.

"Oh, that's a shame, but I would have never suspected him to leave your side. You two must be on a mission from the Queen?" Ciel looked at her with surprise and she smiled. "I knew it. He wouldn't leave your side unless you ordered him to do something that required his skills."

Pluto soon growled at Grell, but he seemed to be unaffected by the threatening gesture. "Oh, is he your knight tonight? Why does this nipper get all the good-looking men," Grell asked in annoyance. Pluto started charging his way and Grell got excited. "Ah, he's going to attack me! I'm all yours, be please be gentle!" However, Pluto passed him, followed by Ciel, which made Grell very upset. "Hey! What am I, chopped liver? Well, I never!"

"Please don't tell me that you fell in love with yet another man," Lilliana asked.

"And if I have," Grell asked.

"You know he's the equivalent of a dog! You are thinking of fucking a dog!"

"How rude of you! He just different, that's all," he said. She rolled her eyes as she and Grell followed Ciel and soon reached what appeared to be a toy shop, but at the front window was something very odd: a doll replica of Lizzie.

"Well, look what we have here. I guess we'll be working together after all. Our next case: a butler and puppeteer to the house of Mandalay, Mr, Drossel Keinz," Lilliana said as she looked through the file. Soon, they heard glass shattering and ran inside. They saw Pluto carrying the doll in his mouth and he handed it to Ciel.

"Lizzie's ribbon . . . it's on the doll," Ciel said as he examined the doll. He looked around for any clues around the shop and saw an open back door. They all ran to it and saw a mansion that looked more like a castle from a fairytale.

"My, what a delightful estate," Grell said. "Though, they could use some more red."

"Grell, protect me," Ciel said.

"What," both Reapers said in confusion.

"I'll grant you any request."

"Uh, you know I'm here, right? I have protected you far many more times in the past," Lilliana said, almost in anger. Why would Ciel ask _Grell_ to protect him? This was the man that killed Madame Red in cold blood. Why out of the two Reapers did he want _him_ to protect him?

"How insulting of you. Earl or not, I'm not the sort of cheap girl you can just pay-," Grell said, but stopped as he heard the words he was dying to hear.

"I'll give you leave to do whatever you wish with Sebastian for a day."

Lilliana looked aghast by the statement. Grell, on the other hand, looked in absolute glee. "Hm, whatever I wish with Bassy means . . . I can kiss him?!"

"Do as you like," Ciel said, fully aware of Lilliana's reaction to this entire conversation.

"Does that mean . . .with tongue?!"

"Whatever you order him to do."

"Oh, this is an offer I can't refuse! I'm so happy I could die," Grell said, thinking of all the things he was going to do to Sebastian.

Lilliana's completely aghast face soon turned to anger with red eyes as she confronted him. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

"I need all the help I can get," Ciel lied. "And with the right incentive, he can be useful."

"Are you fucking kidding me?! I know this guy personally and I can tell you that he is not someone you should depend on with your life. He will find any reason to leave your sorry ass behind for his own selfish goals."

"Still, we can use his help. Besides, I wouldn't want you distracting my butler from his mission." She scoffed, but they all headed inside the estate. Once they opened the doors, they noticed a rather creepy life-size doll staring straight at them with dead eyes. As they took a closer look, Lilliana mentioned, "Doesn't that ring on her finger look awfully like yours?"

"This doll looks awfully familiar," Ciel said under his breath, but he soon recognized the face as one of the missing girls. "It couldn't be." However, her eyes moved and suddenly, the doll grabbed Ciel's throat very tightly. "H-Help," Ciel yelped with the little strength he could. Lilliana swung her Death Scythe, but the doll somehow blocked the blow and even held it back almost effortlessly.

"What the hell?!" Soon, a gem from above hit the doll's heading, causing her to let go of both Ciel and the Death Scythe.

"Now, now, I wish you would call my name when you needed help," Grell said on the chandelier above them. "And don't worry, I can help thanks to my Death Scythes," he said as he showed Ciel his "Death Scythes".

"Aren't those . . . just scissors," Ciel stated.

"What do you want me to do?! Will took my custom Death Scythe away! I miss its vibrations so much!"

"That's what she said," Lilliana muttered under her breath.

"I know, I'll chop her to bits and you can see how useful they are," Grell said as he descended to attack the doll.

"Wait! Don't kill her! She's not a doll," Ciel yelled, but it was too late. Grell was able to slit her throat and she fell with a might, but as Ciel checked on her, he noticed that instead of blood, sand was spilling out of her neck. "Was it a doll after all?"

"Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away," a voice sang. Soon, a door opened and out appeared a man named Joked in circus clothing holding a candelabrum. "This doll was a failure. So then I thought to myself: 'I must make them much, much stronger'. Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel. Build it up with iron and steel, my fair lady." At the sound of the song, four more girl dolls appeared with the same dead eyes as the first one and the man left the room.

"They're the kidnapped girls," Ciel said.

"I'm not going to let anyone take away my day with my dear Bassy! Anyone who dare tries gets this," Grell said as he charged toward the dolls, but as he swung toward them, they could all hear a sound of metal clanking and they seemed undamaged by the attack. "I . . . I couldn't cut them!"

"Grell, Lilliana, this is an order. You two and Pluto play with the dolls here and keep them occupied for as long as it takes," Ciel said before he headed for the door to chase the man.

"Say what now," Lilliana asked before she dodged an attack from one of the dolls.

"You're going to leave us behind?! You're inhuman," Grell said in disbelief.

"A Reaper is calling _me_ inhuman," Ciel yelled before leaving the room.

Lilliana eyes grew a deeper shade of red with feelings of both anger and betrayal. "What the fuck is his problem? I've been a loyal maid for two fucking years and this is the thanks I get," she said as she swung her Death Scythe toward one of the dolls and although it wasn't enough to break her, it was enough to slam her against the wall.

"I can see why. You clearly can't be trusted if you keep acting on your demonic instincts," Grell said as he dodged another attack.

"Oh, you want to see my demonic nature," Lilliana asked rhetorically as she grabbed one of the dolls and despite her being made out of metal, she managed to break her neck with a good amount of pressure. "You're next, Sutcliff!" Grell screamed as he ran out of the estate to run away from her. "Get back here," she said as she followed him out, but not before whistling for Pluto to follow her. After a while of chasing, she managed to catch up to the frantic Reaper and tackle him to the ground to the point that she was on top of him.

"Don't kill me! I have so much to live for," Grell begged.

Lilliana, still with red eyes, sighed as she said, "I'm not going to kill you. I'm just furious at my master. Recently, he has this prejudice against me, despite all the years I've served him. Honestly, I think it would have been better if he never learned I was a Grim Reaper, or in other words, if you didn't get involved in the Jack the Ripper case. Today, he might have pushed my buttons a little too much."

"Why do you stay his lowly maid then?"

"I don't know," she said as she got up. She extended her hand out to Grell, but he was reluctant to take it. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You promise?" She nodded. He took her hand and she pulled him up to his feet. Soon, they saw Pluto running toward their direction, but he ran passed them. "Hey, where are you going?" They followed him and managed to pull on his leash, but he seemed to be transfixed on the secluded tower next to the estate. "Hey now; calm down! What's the matter with you, puppy?!"

"You three are still alive," Ciel asked from behind them, followed by Sebastian. The trio looked with smiles on their faces, but Lilliana's soon faded.

"Oh, Bassy," Grell said as he tried to give a hug to his dear demon, but he was trampled by Pluto, who succeeded in hugging him, much to Sebastian's dismay. "Excuse me?! Wait, could that be a . . . demon hound?"

"You're just now noticing," Lilliana asked.

"Oh la, la! A passionate night with a beast! How immoral!"

"You really have no standards, do you," Sebastian asked with annoyance. "Pluto, I've been waiting for you." Sebastian walked Pluto to the front of the door and continued, "Once the seal of the underworld has been placed on the door, only a hellhound can open it." Suddenly, Pluto's collar started to glow, which gave some kind of discomfort to Pluto and he soon changed into his wolf form.

"Oo, it's so big," Grell said with his clasped hands on his cheek.

While this was happening, the door started to glow and with a howl, it opened. Pluto rushed inside, leaving the rest of them behind."Where has he run off to this time," Ciel said.

"No need to worry, young master. Let's have him guide us," Sebastian said. With those words, they all headed inside and climbed the many flights of stairs until they finally reached the top of the tower. Sebastian opened the surprisingly unlocked door and they all entered the room. Inside, they saw what looked like a doll-making workshop with words marked with chalk on the walls. They looked around and saw Lizzie, who appeared to be passed out, on a chair. Ciel ran to her and called her name, hoping she would wake up, but she didn't, which worried him greatly. Her skin somehow seemed to shine, like it was made out of wax.

"Oh my, it looks like we are too late," Grell said.

"No! Lizzie, wake up," Ciel yelled and after a while, Lizzie finally opened her eyes. She let out a moan of exhaustion, but that was better than nothing. "Oh, thank goodness. You're okay."

"The ring," she said in a weak voice. He was surprised as he looked down on his thumb and remembered he had two rings on, the other being the one used to kidnap the girls. "So, did you like it . . . Ciel? I'm so happy," He, Sebastian, and Lilliana looked in shock since they remembered that Lizzie was going to give him a present earlier today, but they didn't think it would be this ring.

"Then that ring was her gift for you," Lilliana said.

"But it's foolish! Why would she give me . . . ," he said, but they all noticed a sudden flash of light and a sound of wire and suddenly, Lizzie's limbs seemed to move past her control, especially since she started to float in the air.

"Why does her body move independent of her will," Joker's voice said in an unknown area. "Why is she going to hurt the one she loves?" Suddenly, an axe was thrown in her direction and she managed to grab it, but it seemed she didn't want to take it, especially after the last statement. She then held up the axe and prepared to kill her fiancé against her will.

"No," she yelled repeatedly as she swung it down, but Sebastian pulled him away in time. Still, she continuously swung at them, saying no the whole time. She would never do this to the one she loved. Lilliana tried swinging her Death Scythe to block the attack, but she accidentally ripped a piece of Lizzie's dress, so close to piercing her skin.

"Don't kill her," Ciel yelled angrily.

"I'm not trying to," she said as she turned towards them, but Lizzie, or really her puppet master, used this to their advantage and the axe swung on her arm, piercing the skin and blood splattering everywhere. She moaned in agony, but the blood surrounding her activated her demon instincts and she swung more offensively, almost out of her own control. Sebastian knew that if he didn't stop this, she might actually kill Lizzie without meaning to.

"Grell, you see what's happening, don't you," he asked.

"I suppose, but I might chip my blades, so . . . ," Grell said as he filed his nails.

"Please."

"Oh, Bassy! You're asking _me_ for something? Oh, how could I deny you? In that case, during the kiss, can there be . . . a little bit . . . of tongue?" At those words, Lilliana tried to aim her Death Scythe at Grell, but Lizzie landed another successful blow on her back. Filled with more temptation, Lilliana attacked her even more viciously to the point that Lizzie was having difficulty keeping up.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about, but in fact, I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue." Grell, now filled with more joy than ever, decided it was time to end all this.

"It's unforgivable for a little girl like you to have a better blade than me," Grell said as he sliced the strings that were attached to her while Sebastian held Lilliana back until she calmed down. Lizzie fell to the ground and Ciel quickly ran to her to make sure he didn't kill her.

However, Sebastian had other things in mind as he asked Lilliana, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said sharply as she shook him off her, but she winced in pain. Now that she wasn't distracted with the fight, she finally felt how deep the wounds actually were and could feel the immense pain.

"You shouldn't move too much. You've been injured pretty badly."

"I'm fine!" She then lowered herself so she could examine Lizzie closer. She saw a flash of light and grabbed a loose string. "It's puppet string."

"This sharp cut only comes with a Death Scythe. Well, Bassy, aren't I amazing? Tell me how good I am," Grell begged.

"Well done. Not just anyone can run with scissors," Sebastian said.

"Oh, I'm just flattered to death!"

"Where did the puppet string lead to," Lilliana said as she tried to follow the string. They all looked up and saw that the string led up to a ledge on top hidden in darkness, a perfect spot for someone to hide.

"So I thought to myself, 'What shall I use to make my new dolls'," Joker said as he unleashed puppet strings down below and tying everyone.

"Then I'll ask you this . . . what are you made of," Sebastian asked.

"Hmm? I don't know. What am I . . . made of," Joker asked in almost surprised. He never thought of that before.

"You see, you don't seem to be made of very high-quality materials."

"So I thought to myself, 'I always believed that I was human and yet, I often find terminates crawling out of my ears'." Sebastian used this distraction to lift the axe off the ground with only his feet and miraculously kicked it toward Joker, who lost his grip on the strings and set them free.

"Grell, I need you," Sebastian said.

"Ah, a loving collaboration, Bassy, combined with love," Grell said with loving enthusiasm as he rushed to kiss him, but Sebastian stepped on his face to boost himself up to fight Joker. "Ow, yet another foot to my face."

"You kind of deserved it," Lilliana said.

"Shut up, you little-," Grell tried to say, but was slammed back to the ground by Joker's body. They noticed that his head had straw spilling out to the floor.

"I would never lose to a man who was hopelessnly inferior," Sebastian said as he descended down.

"So, he was a doll too," Ciel noted.

"Drossel Keinz is his name. His soul was collected five years ago, but for some reason, we detected signs of his existence," Lilliana said, but took out the file and stamped it.

"Someone must have fitted him with a makeshift soul," Sebastian said.

"Ciel," a sweet voice said softly. Ciel almost forget about Lizzie, but he still showed a lot more care than any of them usually saw.

"Elizabeth, let's get you home," he said.

"I want to . . . give you . . . a real birthday party. Can I?"

He was reluctant, but said, "Yes, please do." With a smile on her face, she fell back to sleep and her skin soon lost its waxy shine. "You can rest easy now. It's all-."

"So I thought to myself," Joker said weakly as he slowly got up. "I still have a task. I will report to master." He proceeded to walk to a certain room, leaving them all perplexed.

"What's wrong with him? He's all torn up and yet he still wants to serve his master," Grell asked.

"Perhaps I judged him too hastily. You see, _he's_ one hell of a butler," Sebastian said, almost in sympathy. Joker pushed the doors to another room open and collapsed to the floor, dead. They all rushed in and they were surprised to see Pluto there, but not only that, he seemed to play lapdog to whoever was looking at the window. Pluto did notice them, but he returned to show affection toward the mysterious master.

"Why is he being so friendly," Ciel asked.

"I'm terribly sorry," a deep voice said, "My butler is so incompetent and I was unable to offer you hospitality."

"So you're behind this. Why would you turn little girls into dolls?"

"Flowers, eras, and also people are only beautiful at their finest moments. Doll making is a noble work, preserving in this world the most beautiful and perfect."

"You've got awful taste! What's so perfect about immature little-," Grell said before he was "rudely" interrupted.

"Why are you after me? I won't be made into a doll and displayed in your collection," Ciel said as he threw the other ring at the chair.

"You ought to learn your place, boy."

"What?"

"My butler's head is made of straw. I imagine he couldn't understand why I wanted you. You were fated to die from your very birth. Your body is already . . . unclean."

Ciel looked shocked, but said, "How could you know that?"

"I cannot allow someone like you to exist in this world. Your existence is a desecration! Unclean, unnecessary, unwanter. I tried to snuff you out; snuff out the unlearn, the unnecessary, the unwanted! End him," the man repeated over and over again, but the more he said more high-pitched his voice became.

"Don't play games with me!" Ciel and the deities ran to face the man, but they were all shocked to see a life-sized sock puppet and on its lap was a small wooden puppet, but it started to move on its own free will, terrifying them all, especially Grell. Soon, its face turned sinister and it ran away laughing manically. "Catch it, Sebastian!"

"The person manipulating it is not here, my lord. I now notice that there were invisible strings all over the room," Sebastian said.

"Damn. Lilliana, how about you catch it?"

"Why? Sebastian already said-," Lilliana tried to say.

"Do it now! It's an order," Ciel yelled. There was a bit of silence in the room, but she left without saying another word, cutting the strings on her way out.

"Young mater, don't you think that was a little too harsh on her," Sebastian said.

"She's a servant and she'll have to obey my orders. If she doesn't like that, she can leave."

"Well, then I might as well help her-,"

"You will not do anything of the sort. In fact, I order you to keep your distance from her when I task you with anything. Anything I order you to do, I demand you do it alone. You're more than capable to do so."

Sebastian looked at him with utter shock, but he couldn't disobey a command, no matter how much it pained him. "Yes, my lord."

* * *

Lilliana followed the little puppet for a long time. She knew that she couldn't kill it or she might lose the lead to who was controlling him, but for its size, it moved pretty fast. Eventually, it was running on the railing of the London Bridge and she finally noticed it running to a woman in a purple dress, but she looked awfully familiar. "Snuff out the unclean," the woman said before crushing the puppet in her hand and throwing it into the water below. The woman had white hair and purple eyes, like a certain woman she knew at Houndsworth.

"Lilliana, you don't have to hide from me. I know you're watching," that familiar voice said. Lilliana descended from her hiding spot, but made sure her Death Scythe was ready in her hands just in case she wanted to fight.

"Angela, what are you doing here? I know you're not here just to see Pluto."

"Oh, on the contrary, I wanted to see your master, Ciel Phantomhive. I need to . . . cleanse him."

"I'm not letting you anywhere near him," she said as she swung her Death Scythe toward Angela, but she dodged it very easily.

"You think I'm going to hurt him? I just want him to live the happy life he deserves and the only way to do that is to cleanse him."

"I know what you creatures are like; you make humans believe you are salvations, but in reality, you're more sadistic than some demons I know."

"How dare you say that? We are nothing like those infernal creatures. In fact, why are you trying to help your 'dear' master? You've seen how nasty he treats you just because of who you are. In fact, it seems everyone judges you and has never accepted you."

"Why would you care?"

"I'm an angel; it's my duty."

"Save that bullshit for your next victim," she said as she swung her Death Scythe again, but this time, her injuries were getting the best of her and she couldn't aim properly.

"See, you're injured and your master has tasked you with this physically demanding job. Why don't you leave him? It's probably best for you."

"Do you realize my situation? Either I go to a mansion where a few people care about me or go back to a job where no one cares about me. I'd rather work at the mansion, even though Ciel has turned this cold to me."

"But what about your brother? Doesn't he care about you?" At those words, Lilliana's eyes turned a deeper shade of red as she charged at Angela, but the attack was so sudden that she could only block it with her hand rather than escape.

"How do you know my brother?!"

"I'm curious to see how a demon would spend his entire life to protect a sister that doesn't even know who she is."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember, do you? He saved you life! If it weren't that deal all those years ago, you would have been another lost soul in the Cinematic Records! He sacrificed his humanity for you and you are so ungrateful for it."

Suddenly, they saw a demon sword come out of nowhere and land in the snow like the sword in the stone. The two women looked up as they saw Bastille staring down at the scene below. "That's enough, Angela."

"Bastille? What are you doing here? How did you find me," Lilliana asked in surprise.

"I marked you, remember? I can never lose you," Bastille said as he showed the scarred hand. It was the same mark that was scarred on her chest.

"Well, I guess that my cue to leave," Angela said as she sprouted her white wings and started to fly away.

"Wait, get back here," Lilliana yelled, but she was pulled back by a hand.

"There's no need. She won't harm him."

"But she's an angel-," she tried to say.

"Lily, just leave it alone. After all, I haven't seen you since the party. How have you . . . ," he said before noticing her blood-soaked clothes. "What the hell happened? Who did this to you? Was it Sebastian?"

"No, it was . . . well, it's a long story."

"Well, I'm here to listen to you, but I don't want you to go back to that mansion until healed. I'm afraid to know what Sebastian would do to you if he smelled your blood."

"Well, he asked if I was all right. He's not as heartless as you think."

"Still, I don't want you to work until you're completely healed. Besides, I just want to spend time with my little sister."

"But-,"

"Please, for old time's sake," Bastille begged.

Lilliana was reluctant, but said, "Fine, but only until my wounds heal and I'm still going to work as a Grim Reaper. If Will knew about this, he would report me for sure."

"Well, let's make sure he doesn't," Bastille said as he gave her a hug. "I promise to protect you."

In the distance, two Grim Reapers were looking down at the scene. "Well, she is getting a little too close to my second demon love."

"That's her brother, Bastille, right?"

"How do you know that? Did I mention him to you on our little tour guide missions?"

"Oh no, I read about him in his file. Apparently, he became a demon the same time she became a Grim Reaper and they have lived together for quite some time in France before we rescued her."

"I'm not sure 'rescue' is the right word, honey. They just simply took her away from him."

"But that's what the file said: she was getting too corrupted and needed to be corrected."

"That because she was acting more demon-like than Reaper. I didn't even know Reapers could do the things she did."

"Pardon, I'm not following."

"Well, she's called a Rogue Reaper for a reason. Anyway, I'm going back to see my scrumptious William. If you need me, you'll know where to find me."

"Okay, bye, Grell," Katia said before he left her side. "Once you get to know her, she's actually a nice lady, but I would like to learn more about Lilliana Kiliamo. What are you hiding that the Head Reapers don't want me to know?"


	12. A Royal Freeloader

Katia has been sitting quietly in the break room of headquarters a lot since William doesn't assign her too many soul-collecting jobs. Since her mission was to collect the one soul, he believes that she needs to spend a lot of time watching the person before he died to see if he deserves a second chance. However, the person she was watching lived probably the most boring life ever, or at least, in Grell's opinion. The man's name was David Samuels and he has worked at a bank for almost ten years. He doesn't have a family or even a wife and spends most of his time just reading books about random topics, but nothing interesting. The most exciting part of his day was seeing which book he would choose to read. Katia pretty much knows everything she needs to know to make her decision. Plus, she had another assignment to work on, but she had trouble finding her target. Where the hell was he?

"Hey, Katia, do you have any plans for tonight," Ronald asked as he approached her. Being the only female Reaper that actually dresses as a woman, she has received a lot of attention from many of the younger Reapers, especially Ronald.

"No, I don't have any plans in particular," she said.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to a café tonight."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Knox, but I really-,"

"Please, call me Ronald. You don't need to be formal around me," he said as he tried to wrap his arm around her, but she moved out of the way before he could. As this was going on, Lilliana walked into the break room and noticed what was happening.

"Sorry, Ronald, but I asked her to accompany me tonight on my jobs. Apparently, she forgot," she said almost angrily, but she gave her a wink.

"Oh, that's right. I'm sorry, Mr. Knox, but I'm busy tonight," she said as the two women left the break room and Ronald sat down in disappointment.

Once they were at a far away distance, Lilliana said, "You need to be careful. These men have never seen a Reaper in a skirt before."

"Really? You've never worn a skirt?"

"Hell no! I barely wear _dresses_. What's the point? They are just invitations for perverse and licentious men. Whoever invented those never intended for women to work. Plus, if I wear those things during work, I'm afraid it'll get caught in something while I roof-jump or anything like that."

"Oh, but they do look good, right," she asked rather innocently.

"For some girls, yes. I'll admit, you look good in a skirt, but you'll never see my wear one unless I absolutely have to." Katia couldn't stop herself from smiling like an idiot. "What?"

"Oh, nothing; I just don't get complimented by women a lot. In America, there are a few female Reapers, but they all look down on me since I get the most attention. How come you don't get any?"

"I just don't. Maybe it's because I dress and act like one of the guys, but I could never pinpoint why exactly."

"What about Grell? I mean she has tried to get men's attention for years, but she doesn't seem to catch a break."

"Did you say 'she'?"

"Well, I don't really know if she's a man or woman, but it's respectful to say female pronouns since that's how she views herself. Could that be the reason why he can't get attention?"

"I think that might be a big factor, but the men she's, _I mean_ , he's, _I mean_ . . . ah, you got me all confused!"

"I'm sorry," she said very apologetically.

"It's all right, but like I said, you should be more careful," she said as she tried to leave her side, but Katia pulled her arm, causing her to hiss in pain.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I bet you're still healing."

"Wait, how-," she said in confusion. She was pretty sure she didn't tell anyone about the axe incident.

"Oh, Grell told me. She and I have surpassingly become friends."

"I guess so, but I don't know how you've managed that since she . . . he . . . Grell and I have been enemies for a long time."

"Oh, well, I think it's because I've been calling her a she. Maybe that can help?"

"That will take some getting used to, but regardless, it still kind of stings and I haven't been able to work since it demands so much of me physically," Lilliana said as she put her hand over the aching pain.

"But, you're here," Katia asked in confusion.

"Oh, I work two jobs. I work for a young Earl as a maid during the day and work here at night."

Katia looked in shock. "You can do that?"

"Well, yeah. It's one of the perks of being a Rogue Reaper, but recently I haven't been able to go," she said, but soon, an idea came into her head. "You said you were free tonight, right?"

"Y-Yes," Katia said, trying not to sound too excited about the question.

"Could you do me a huge favor?"

"I'll do anything for you."

"I need you to get a job as a maid at the Phantomhive estate."

Her happy expression soon turned into disappointment. "What?"

"I want you to take over my job for now. I'm curious to see how the young master is doing while I'm gone."

"But . . . how would I do that?"

"I've noticed that you have a lot of free time, especially during the day, so I want you to go to the Phantomhive estate and ask for a job."

"But . . . why?"

"I want you to look out for my master, Ciel Phantomhive. I mean, Sebastian can protect him, but I'm curious to see how he is handling things while I'm gone."

"Well, if it will please you, I can do that for you."

"You will? Thank you," she said as she hugged Katia. It was the least she could do for someone that was more girly than her. Katia blushed uncontrollably. "Okay, here's what you need to know so you can get the job."

* * *

"Well that was a waste of time and energy," Ciel said in his townhouse in London. They were investigating a case of a criminal hanging men upside-down, but the only clue that they had was that the criminal was Indian. After that, they walked down the streets of the East End, but were attacked by Indian thugs, but a man and his butler dressed in extravagant clothing saved them.

"Perhaps one of those Indians might be the criminal, but for now, let's wait until Sir Arthur contacts us," Sebastian said as he opened the door, but were greeted with big smiles. The servants were allowed to accompany them this time and they couldn't be happier.

"Welcome home, master!"

"I'll never get any peace at this rate if I'm called to London for every silly little thing," Ciel said as Sebastian removed his coat.

"Mr. Lau is here and there's someone here to see the young master in the study," Mey-Rin said. "She said she wanted a job."

Sebastian and Ciel looked in confusion. "Who?"

"Her name is Katia Vendoa. She says Lady Elizabeth sent her," Finnian said. They all rushed to the study and found two people talking to each other. One was Lau, just like Mey-Rin said, but the other person was a woman that neither of them recognized, except Sebastian, who recognized her otherworldly green eyes.

"Hello, my lord. You really are here," Lau said.

"How many times have I told you to at least send a note before you visit," Ciel said in annoyance.

"Ah, I vaguely remember that," Lau said with his far from innocent smile.

Ciel soon turned to Katia as he inquired, "Who are you?"

"Oh, I-I'm Katia Vendoa," she said nervously as she straightened her posture. "I'm looking for a job."

"We don't need any more servants. You can go home now. I don't want to waste any more of your time," Ciel said.

"Oh, please give me a job. I'll do anything," she begged.

"You said that Lady Elizabeth sent you," Sebastian questioned.

"Y-Yes, but she said . . . the same thing . . . ( _sigh_ ) I'm such a bad liar. She wanted me to get a job so I could . . . spy on Earl Ciel Phantomhive."

"Spy on me? Why would she do that?"

"She wants to make sure you're happy." Ciel thought about her statement. That is something that Lizzie would do, but he didn't think she would go that far. "So, can I get a job?"

"My, she is quite a determined girl, isn't she," Lau said.

Ciel thought about it, but Sebastian said, "Since we have guests, why don't I serve some tea."

"Might as well," Ciel said.

"Oh, I can try some English tea for the first time," Katia said with a smile.

"You've never had English tea before," Ciel asked, surprised by the statement.

"Oh, no I haven't. I just moved here from America several days ago," she said.

"Personally, I'd rather have Chai than English tea," a voice said, but it wasn't Lau. They looked at the direction of the voice and saw an Indian man dressed in extravagant clothes with his butler at his side. In fact, it w the same two Indian people that Ciel and Sebastian met at the East End.

"WH-What," Ciel yelled in utter shock.

"Oh, I met them on a street corner. They said they wanted to see you," Lau said.

"So you come barging in here? What are you doing here?!"

"We're acquaintances now. Have you forgotten already? Also, I saved you," the man said as he walked by the group of people and headed upstairs.

"'Saved me'? Excuse me?!"

"In India, it's the common practice to invite your savior home and offer them hospitality. Is the British way to kick one's savior out in the cold?"

"And just who the hell do you think you are?!"

"This is the 26th child of the Raja of Bengal, Prince Soma Asman Kadar," his butler said, but they noticed he had some type of bandage around his hand, almost like a mummy's.

"Thanks you for your hospitality, Shorty," Soma said. The servants were in awe by the fact they were in the presence of a real prince, but Ciel and Sebastian were not impressed.

"Sebastian, don't let them out of your sight," Ciel said so that only Sebastian could hear.

"Very well, my lord," Sebastian said with a bow.

"So, can I have the job," Katia said. Ciel almost forgot about her, especially since this new problem literally walked into his house.

"I want you to prove to me that you are able to perform the tasks we assign you, so here is your test. While these two are here, I want you to serve their needs and if I hear one complaint from them, you won't get the job. Is that a deal?"

"Oh, thank you, sir! I promise I won't disappoint you," she said with glee.

"You will work effective immediately and there is a uniform in a room in the servants' quarters. Sebastian, can you show her to the room?"

"Of course, my young master," Sebastian said as he directed Katia out of the room, but Ciel made sure to keep a close eye on her. Something about her sudden appearance didn't seem right to him.

As the two walked some distance away from the group, Katia said, "This place is surely big for a townhouse."

"Of course it is; it is supposed to represent the wealth and power of the Phantomhives. Even Lilliana knows that and she's technically worked with us the least amount of time."

"Lilliana? Who's that?"

"She is our head maid, but she suffered a terrible accident some time ago and had to recover."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear. I hope she recovers soon."

"It's fine. She's a fast healer, just like you," Sebastian said with subtle suspicion.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You honestly thought you could fool me? I know you are a Grim Reaper, just like Lilliana, so why did you want this job."

"W-W-W-What?! That's a-absurd! Grim Reapers don't exist," Katia said with an uncomfortable laugh.

"The sooner you admit it, the less force I will have to use to get the information out of you," he said as he suddenly turned around, grabbed her throat, and pushed her to the wall. Katia tried to get her katana-shaped Death Scythe to defend herself, but it didn't work. "Are you going to tell me the truth now?"

"All right, all right, I'll tell! Just please let me go," she said with a frightened tone. He then let her go and she regained her breath. "She was right; I couldn't fool you, but I thought I would give it a shot."

"Why are you here?"

"Believe or not, Lilliana sent me."

"She did? Why would she do that? Is she all right," Sebastian said in a worried tone.

"She's fine, but the injuries she suffered are putting a toll on her and she needed to rest. She sent me here to make sure you guys are doing all right without her, but I can see that you might need the extra help now.".

"Where is she staying at? I'm surprised she hasn't come back here to rest."

"That has bothered me too. She doesn't have a home in the Reaper Realm other than maybe her rehabilitation room, but I doubt she would go there. If she hasn't been here this whole time, then where has she gone?"

Sebastian was silent. At least he knows she's all right, but where was she? The manor was her home and in a way, sanctuary from the Reaper Association, so why wouldn't she return? Ciel might have a hard time dealing with her recovery since she wouldn't work, or at least, that's what he theorized after listening to Katia, but she is as strong as him and even with a severe injury, she will work. Where the hell was she? "Well, here's the room. Go change into your maid uniform and report to our new guests," he said as they arrived to Lilliana's room. She was the same size as Lilliana, so he assumed she could fit her maid outfit.

"Yes, Sebastian," Katia said as she went inside the room and closed the door. He left her side since he knew that if he stayed for too long, Ciel might get suspicious. This was one secret he wanted to keep from his young master.

As Sebastian entered Ciel's room, he saw that he was drinking some tea while reading the letter he received from the Queen. Ciel gave him a suspicious glare as he said, "So, do you think she'll make a good servant around the house?"

"I'm not sure, but she is determined to impress you. She must really want this job."

"I must admit that I find it suspicious that this woman wanted a job right after Lilliana suddenly disappeared on us."

"I don't see any connection between the two of them. I've never seen them interact and I'm sure they don't know each other."

"I wonder what would happen if we mentioned her name. Do you think she would react?"

"I already tried that, but she had no reaction to her name. Not even dilation in her eyes."

Ciel let out a sigh and said, "If she _is_ telling the truth, I wouldn't want to upset Lizzie by not giving her the job. As long as she works efficiently, I'm willing to let her keep the job, that is, until Lilliana return . . . or _if_ she returns."

"I'm sure she'll return. She suffered quite some damage and probably needed to recover."

"But then why hasn't she come back? I can't think of any place she would go besides here."

"I don't know where's she's gone, but I can keep an eye out for her-," Sebastian said before he was cut off.

"No, you will not do anything of the sort. Let's get through this Indian nightmare and then we will decide our next move."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said with a bow.

* * *

"It's time to wake up, Lord Phantomhive," a low Indian voice said as he drew back the curtains, pouring light into Ciel's room.

Ciel stirred in his bed as he said to himself, "Lord Phantomhive?" Sebastian would never call him that. It was always young master or any variation of that. As he opened his eyes, he saw who woke him up.

"Namaste jī, Lord Phantomhive," Agni said with a warm smile.

Ciel quickly got out of bed as he yelled, "WH-Why are you in my room?!" However, he was quickly pulled down into Soma's arms.

"We're going out today, Shorty. Show us around town," Soma said.

"Why should I?! And my name isn't 'Shorty'! It's Ciel!"

"All right, Ciel, I order you to show me around town," Soma said as he jumped on the bed and tried to run out the door with Ciel still in his arms. However, Katia and Sebastian blocked his way.

"I'm terribly sorry, but my master's schedule for the day is filled with study and work," Sebastian said.

"Oh, that's a shame. I guess we will have to wait until you're done, so hurry up," Soma said as he set Ciel down, but Ciel was not happy with the way he was treated just seconds ago.

"Get out of my room so I can at least change into my clothes," he said as formally as he could with anger building up inside him.

"Of course," Agni said as he guided his prince outside the room. As she was ordered, Katia stayed with the Indian duo, but things have gotten . . . well, complicated.

"Can _you_ show us around London," Soma said as he put his arm around her waist. It has been like this ever since she introduced herself to them. Apparently, he has fallen in love with her and even openly said he wanted her to be his wife. Even Agni was happy to hear the "good news" that he almost was in tears, but she had to go along with this until they were gone.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I don't know the town that well. I just moved here from America only several days ago," she said as she tried to wiggle his hand away from her. She had to remember that this was all for Lilliana, but she better pay her back big time for this.

"Oh, really? Well, I hear that American girls are quite unique and I can clearly see why," he said with flirtatious eyes.

"Thanks," she said as politely as she could. Suddenly, the doors opened and out came Ciel and Sebastian.

"We will be in the ballroom practicing his violin and fencing. If you want to watch, you can join us," Sebastian said with a smile.

"Well, we have nothing better to do," Soma said as they followed them to the ballroom.

"I shall be your tutor while we are in London, my lord," Sebastian said with a violin bow in his hand.

"Bach's Chaconne in D Minor? I can't play something this complex," Ciel said as he examined the sheet music in front of him.

"I make the rules here. Do you have a problem with my teaching methods," Sebastian asked teasingly. Ciel scoffed, but he placed the violin on his shoulder and began playing the piece. For a difficult piece, he played it surprisingly well for his first try, but he was interrupted by a low chanting sound. He stopped as he suddenly saw a huge bronze statue of some four-armed woman with her tongue sticking out pushed in by Katia and Agni. Agni seemed happy to push such a heavy statue into the room, but Katia was not. Agni and Soma started what seemed to be praying to the statute, which made all of them even more confused.

"What is _that_ ," Ciel asked.

"They seem to be praying, but it's quite a surreal idol, isn't it," Lau said.

"To me, it merely looks like a statue of a woman carrying a severed head, wearing a necklace of heads, and dancing madly on top of a man's stomach," Katia said.

"She is Kali, a goddess of our Hindu faith," Agni explained.

"A goddess of India," Ciel asked.

"Kali is the wife of the god Shiva and the goddess of power and strength. Long ago, a demon foolishly challenged her to a fight. Naturally, she was victorious, but her destructive urges were not quelled. However, to protect the earth from falling into ruin, Shiva threw himself at her feet! Treading on her husband with her unclean feet brought Kali back to her senses and peace restored to the world. Kali is a great goddess who defeated the demon after a desperate battle. As proof, she carries the demon's head," Agni explained.

"There you have it," Ciel said.

"Hmm, I wasn't aware of anyone so strong, I shall have to keep that n mind if I ever travel to India," Sebastian thought out loud.

"Now then, since we're done praying, it's time to go out," Soma said as he tried to drag Ciel out of the room.

"I told you, I'm busy," Ciel yelled as he tried to wiggle out of his grip.

"We are still not done," Sebastian said as he pulled Soma's shoulder to stop him. "We still have to practice fencing. You are welcomed to leave if you like, but we need to perform this task."

"Fine," Soma said with an exaggerated sigh. Soon, Ciel changed into his fencing outfit while Sebastian grabbed two swords for them to practice fencing. Soma waited impatiently for them to finish, but it seemed like it would take forever. Even Katia was getting bored by the pretend fight since she has been in real fights before. "Honestly, when are you going to be done with all this? You look like an idiot."

"Be quiet; you're distracting me," Ciel yelled as he fenced Sebastian, who was "arguably" better than him at fencing, but Soma kept complaining and sighing throughout the entire fight.

"British people sure are short-tempered."

"You never shut up, o you? All right, fine! If you want my attention that badly, I'll oblige," Ciel said as he threw a sword toward Soma.

As he caught the sword, he said, "And if I win, you'll go out on the town with me."

" _If_ you can win," Ciel repeated.

"I wish you luck, my prince," Agni said as poured some hot tea into a cup for him and then for Katia.

Soma looked back at Katia and said, "I will win this battle for her honor." They all turned toward her and she blushed uncontrollably as she smacked her forehead with her hand. Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle a bit since this was a familiar scene for him.

The two boys positioned themselves for the fencing round and Sebastian said with one arm raised, "Let the fight begin!"

"You're mine," Soma said as he aimed for Ciel's ankle, but he didn't know the kind of sword he was using. "What the?! It bent?!"

"Hitting someone's leg with a foil has no effect," Ciel cockily said as he proceeded with the battle.

"This isn't fair! I don't know the rules!"

"A fight is a fight. It's your fault for not knowing," Soma said as he tried to keep up with Ciel's attacks.

"Your Highness, look out," Agni said as he used a cup to block Ciel's sword while also using his fingers to somehow numb his arm. Ciel had no choice but to drop the sword while trying to figure out what happened to his arm. "L-Lord Phantomhive, I'm so sorry! When I saw the prince losing, my reflexes took over. Please forgive me," he said as he worryingly approached him to make sure he was all right.

Soma laughed as he said, "You have done well in protecting your master, Agni. I commend you! Agni is my khansama and he belongs to me. In other words, I win."

"B-B-But," Ciel said angrily.

"My, my, it looks like you'll have to avenge your master, Sebastian," Lau said as he threw a sword to Sebastian, but instead, Katia caught it.

"This time, I want to fight."

"Ah, the young lady wants to fight. This should be interesting," Lau said.

"This isn't a battle for a maid to deal with," Ciel said.

"Ah, my lovely maid is going to fight! Agni, why don't you try fighting her, but go easy on her," Soma said.

"Jo ājñā," Agni said.

Ciel shook his head as he said, "She is going to embarrass herself."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Sebastian said as he pointed to her face. There was any sign of fear, but in fact, there was a cocky smile on her face. "All right, begin." Katia then proceeded to fight with Agni with all her might, which noticeably frightened him. They were all expecting her to be inexperienced, but in fact, she was a rather skilled sword fighter.

"What in Kali's name," Soma said.

"I've spent years of my life fighting with a katana. This should be a piece of cake," Katia said as she swung her sword at Agni, but he was skilled too. The two of them fought for a while, displaying excellent dodges and attacks, which everyone, including Sebastian, was impressed by. Finally, the true mark of skill displayed as the two managed to touch the tips of the swords, causing the swords to bend and eventually break in half.

"Good grief. The swords broke," Sebastian said since he would be the one that had to fix them.

"So, it's a draw," Lau said.

"Your maid is quite impressive, Ciel," Soma said. "Agni is the best warrior in my palace. I've never seen anyone keep up with him before!"

"Sebastian, who is that man? Don't tell me he's another-," Ciel asked as he got closer to Sebastian.

"No, he's just a _deadly_ human."

"I see, but with that much power . . . ,"

"Yes, he could easily hang men upside-down."

"What about her? Do you think she could be involved and blame Indian people to throw people off?"

"If that would be the case, then why would she apply for a job that would limit her mobility? Besides, sword fighting builds strengths, but not enough to hang men upside down."

"Still, keep an eye out for her."

"Yes, my lord."

"You did very well, miss. I never knew that anyone, let alone a woman, could fight Agni that skillfully," Soma said as she approached them.

"Thanks," she said, a little insulted. "If you like, I could teach you next time so you could . . . win my honor," she said a little painfully.

"Really? That would be great! I'll make sure that your life as my wife will be most luxurious and full of bliss."

"Still not interested, but thanks for the offer."

* * *

"All right, tonight, I'll whip up my very best-," Baldroy said with excitement, but it was soon gone.

"I'll take care of the cooking," Sebastian said as he passed him. "You behave yourself."

"I beg your pardon?! I was going to make something tasty for our guests," he said in disbelief.

"Sebastian, I was wondering if we could be of any service to you," Agni said with Katia by his side.

"Agni, you just relax and enjoy yourself. Katia can help me, though."

"Three people can work much faster than two," Agni insisted. "Feel free to ask me for anything."

"In that case, could you make a cottage pie and some gooseberry sauce for tonight's main dish?"

"Of course."

"Hey! Why are you letting them cook, but not the chef," Bard asked angrily, but Sebastian walked off, ignoring his question. "Are you even listening to me?!"

"So much to do, so little time," Sebastian said as he left the room.

"Chef . . . Wow, I still don't know your name," Katia said to get Baldroy's attention.

"Huh? Chef'? Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, we are not accustomed to English cooking. Can we ask for your help," she said sweetly.

"S-Sure, leave it to the chef," Bard said, so happy to be called Chef for once, let alone, helping with the cooking. "And it's Baldroy, miss." The three of them proceeded with the cooking, but Agni had a question lingering in his mind.

"How did you get so good with a sword?"

"I told you, I have practiced with a katana for many years. I don't think that I can be clearer than that," she answered.

"For how many years? I've been practicing all my life, but even you seemed to surprise me with some moves."

"Oh . . . it's been so many years that I can't even remember, but let's just say all my life."

"But you seemed to be skilled in attacks as well as defense. Have you ever fought with someone else before?"

"Of course; I'm a dem- . . . deer hunter," she said, almost spilling the truth.

"Deer hunting with a sword?"

"Yep, it's very hard and that's why I'm so good."

"That is most impressive," he said as he continued cooking. Katia let out a breath of relief.

Suddenly, they heard the door open and they saw Finnian's face on the other side. "What's for supper? It smells good."

"Perfect timing, young man. Would you help us prepare the evening meal," Agni asked.

"What, me? I don't know my own strength, so Sebastian says I can't touch the kitchen stuff in fear that I will break something."

"So you're strong. That's excellent! We need to mask and then purée these potatoes, but it's a lot of work."

"Even I might be able to do that! I want to! Please let me," Finny said with excitement.

Eventually, they heard Mey-Rin collecting plates for the meal, but soon heard the chair wobble and she started to fall. Luckily for her, Katia caught her while Agni caught the falling plates. "Are you hurt, miss," Katia said.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you," she said.

"Perhaps it would be best if you were to take down the plates one at a time," Agni said.

"Y-Yes, I think you're right."

"How is it coming along, Agni and Katia," Sebastian said as he entered the room, but he was surprised to see not just the two of them, but all the servants working there as well, and even better, not making a mess of things.

"Thanks to everyone's help, I'm sure it will be delicious," Agni said.

"I'm amazed you got these lots to help you," Sebastian said as he started helping out with the preparations.

"Everyone is born with their own talents. We all have our own paths and duties revealed set out by the gods. We children of the Divine Mother need only to follow her will and do our appointed tasks," Agni said.

"You're a man of fine character."

"Not at all. I was a hopeless fool before I met the prince. I owe him more than I can ever repay. I hurt many people, blasphemed against the gods, and committed crime after crime, but the day finally came for me to be punished. I had no particular attachment to this world. I didn't even believe in the gods and had forsaken everything, and yet a god appeared before me. That day, I saw the divine in him, in all its sublime radiance!"

"Agni, your pot is boiling over," Katia said, trying to get him out of his nostalgia.

"The prince is my sovereign and my god. He gave me new life, so I will protect him with my life and make as many of his wishes come true."

"The gods are a bunch of good-for-nothing's, if you ask me," Sebastian said under his breath, but Agni still heard him.

"Pardon?"

"Oh, it was nothing."

* * *

"How long do you intend to stay here," Ciel said impatiently as the two boys and Lau were served dinner.

"We'll leave when our business is done," Soma said.

"Come to think of it, you said you were searching for someone, right?"

"Yes. I'm looking for this woman," Soma said as he showed them a piece of paper, but the image was a little kid's drawing of a person, which couldn't help them if they tried. "Her name is Mina. She was a servant at my palace."

"Sebastian, does that give you enough to find her?"

"Even I can't do much with that, but I will try my best," Sebastian said regretfully.

"What is she doing in London?"

"Mina was my attendant, more or less my nursemaid. She'd been with me ever since I could remember. My father and mother never even looked my way and barely took care of me. I was alone in the palace, but Mina always stayed at my side. She was cheerful, beautiful, and taught me many things. However, a British nobleman with his eye on her kidnapped her and took her to England with him while I was away!"

"In other words, you came here to get this woman back to India with you," Ciel asked.

"Yes, I'll get her back and bring her home, no matter what!"

"That's a lot of fuss over one servant."

"No, it's not," Soma said as he got up angrily and grabbed onto Ciel's shoulders. "The palace is very empty without her! Can you even understand my despair I felt when I was forcibly separated from her?!"

"No, I can't. That kind of trifling despair something like _that_ could inspire? I can't understand it and I don't care to. There are some things that no amount of struggling will get back and some despair can't even be escaped. Maybe you're too young to understand that," Ciel said calmly as he smacked Soma's hands off him and left the room.

"But still, I don't want this! I don't want to be alone in that palace anymore."

* * *

Sebastian was waiting on top of the mansion, waiting for a certain someone to leave the townhouse at a suspicious hour. He had been waiting for quite a while, but he couldn't leave until his suspicion was either proven wrong or right. However, while he waited, he would sometimes look out in the distance, hoping to find some clue to where Lilliana was. He was hoping to see her collecting souls in the area, but he had no such luck. Where the hell was she? She wouldn't stay away this long. She wouldn't go back to full time Reaper, especially after the way they treat her.

Suddenly, he heard the door open below him and he saw a certain Indian man walking out into the cold and snowy night. "I knew he'd make a move," he said to himself. However, he heard a window open below him and he saw Katia, dressed out of her maid outfit and into her supposed Reaper uniform. She had her katana-shaped Death Scythe in her hand and she descended down from the two story window to the snow ground below. She then proceeded to roof-jump to her destination.

Now Sebastian was torn. Should he report that his suspicions were right or should he follow Katia, who could possibly lead him to Lilliana? Sebastian soon realized his dilemma and smacked his forehead. "Don't be ridiculous! She's just a maid! She's a Grim Reaper; a being that I am suppose to have no relations with in the first place. What is wrong with me? I shouldn't have any feelings for her, and yet . . ." Although his black heart said otherwise, Sebastian went to report the news that Agni was on the move.


	13. One Supremely Talented Butler

"How are you feeling?"

"A little better, but you do know I'm a fast healer, right?"

"I know, but you're my little sister; of course I would be worried for you."

"I appreciate the thought, but it's getting a little . . . annoying lately. You even had to put this damn scar on me and it fucking hurt."

"I'm sorry, but I had to for your safety."

"What possible danger could I get into," Lilliana asked, but Bastille pointed at her still aching shoulder. "Okay, point taken." Ever since they last talked, she has been staying with him in London. She still would go to work as a Reaper, but her brother had forbidden her to work back at the estate, which at first, she thought was bullshit, but soon thought it was for the better. Ciel has become awfully nasty to her ever since he learned she was a Grim Reaper. It truly did hurt her since he was one of the few people who ever cared for her, but a break from him wouldn't be too bad. The only painful thing about being separated from the estate was Sebastian. She missed having her demon lover by her side and making her feel . . . satisfied. Now, Bastille was by her side when she collected souls, but she had to be careful that no one was watching.

"Why do I have to hide," he said as he hid inside a room close to the one she was in. She was collecting the soul of a sick child that finally succumbed to his illness, but Bastille was bothering her the whole time. "I'm sure if anyone saw us, they would just know I'm here."

She sighed as she explained again, "If they see me with you, they will take me away again."

"Why would you care? You have been nasty to me since I found you."

"I only do that to protect you."

"Protect _me_? You could at least think of a better lie that that!"

"It's true. If they ever found out I was in active contact with you again, they will try to kill you."

"What can those bastards do against a demon?"

"They have better weapons now than they did before. In the past, you barely lost to three Reapers with poor excuses for Death Scythes, but we've upgraded them and I bet more than three would be happy to kill a demon. One even managed to hurt Sebastian," she said as she showed him her Death Scythe. "Mine is just the cheapest one they could make."

"Still, I won't let them take you, even if it cost me my life."

"Don't fucking say that! I can't imagine life without you."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. After all, you've been saying that to me since I found you."

"I only say those kinds of things so you can leave me alone. You know I don't mean it. You're all that I have."

"Same here and that's why I want to protect you."

"Lilliana," a voice called from outside.

"Who the hell is that," he said.

"Hide," she said rather loudly as she tried to hide him.

"Wait, who is it?"

"Who do you think?" Bastille soon hid underneath a bed and she had to pretend like she was finishing up the job. Why did she have to come now? Didn't she tell her to wait for her back at headquarters?

Soon, Katia came through the window and smiled as she said, "Hi Lilliana."

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to wait for me at headquarters?"

"I know, but you weren't there and I couldn't wait to tell you the good news! I got the job!"

"You did? That's great, Katia, but we can discuss more when we get to headquarters," she said as she tried to get her out, but it didn't work.

"It was as easy as you said it would be. Also, it kind of helped that there are some Indian guests with us," she said with a smile.

Lilliana's eyes widened as she said, "I'm sorry, 'guests'?"

"Yeah, a prince and his butler are staying with us, much to Ciel's dismay."

"How old is the prince?"

"He's a teenager, but if I had to guess, he's probably around seventeen."

"Oh, I had to be injured at the worst time! This would have been hilarious to see!"

"It is, trust me. He is like-,"

"We can talk later, but right now, I have to go back to work," Lilliana said, trying to escape.

"Oh, let me help you."

"I don't think that's a good idea. You should either go back to your own assignment or to the manor. I'm sure Ciel might snoop around to see if you are not to be trusted."

"He would?"

"Either he will or he would at least send Sebastian to do it and he can't lie to his master."

"Oh, then . . . I should . . . go back," Katia said hesitantly as she walked to the window, but continued, "You promise to be at headquarters, right?"

"Of course," she promised. With a disappointed face, she left her side and Lilliana sighed in relief. "Okay, the coast is clear."

"I'm going to guess she's a Grim Reaper, like you?"

"Yes. I . . . told her to get a job at the Phantomhive manor," she finally admitted.

"I kind of concluded to that. Why would you do that? Is it to spy on Sebastian," he teased.

"D-Don't be ridiculous. I'm just curious to see how everyone is doing without me. Maybe it's time for me to quit."

"Well, that's great to hear! How about I get us a soul to devour? What do you say," he said, but she gave him an angry stare. "I was only joking!"

"No, actually that sounds good, but I can't. Plus, if the Reaper Association figures out that a Rogue demon is in London, they will hire a demon hunter after you."

"Yeah right," he scoffed.

"One of those Reapers that took me was a demon hunter, but he let you go because he thought it was pathetic to see a demon trying to save a Grim Reaper. You're lucky that he was killed some years ago, but if they're desperate, they'll hire someone from another country."

"I think they already have," he said under his breath so she couldn't hear, but said louder, "Don't worry about me. I can protect myself, but if I was in that situation, would you protect me?"

"Of course I would," she said as she hugged him. "If I hear anything, I will warn you as soon as I can."

"That is good to hear."

* * *

"He's on the move, young master," Sebastian said out the window of Ciel's study.

"All right, let's get moving," Ciel ordered.

"Take me with you," a voice said from outside the door. They and Lau looked in the direction of the voice and saw Prince Soma looking at them with his everyday clothes on. "I know that Agni sneaks out after I go to bed. I want to know what he's been up to."

"Fine, you can come along," Ciel said as the four of them ran out of the room to follow, but on their way, they noticed Katia trying to enter her room, wearing her Reaper outfit, but to them, it appeared that she was leaving. "What are you doing this late at night," Ciel asked her with suspicious in his voice.

"Oh, hello, young master. I-I-I just wanted to . . . ," she frantically tried to say. She didn't think she was going to get caught on her way back to her room.

"Are you trying to follow Agni? Answer me, my lovely maid," Soma said as he approached her.

"S-Sure, t-that's what I was doing. I presume you are all doing the same?"

"Yes. You can come along. I demand it," Soma said as he grabbed her hand and started to drag her with him.

"Hey let me go!"

"Do you think _that_ was what she was doing, Sebastian," Ciel said from a distance away from the "couple".

"I don't think so, my lord, but I don't know what she would be doing otherwise."

"Still, keep an eye on her."

"Yes, my lord."

After a while of following, they reached the home of Harold West Jeb, who handles a wide range of import goods from India and also owned various stores, coffee houses, and other places like it. He is a man who is disgustingly obsessed with status and what Sebastian found suspicious was that people at his coffee houses were trussed and hung upside-down, but he _happened_ to be away and was unharmed. "S-Shall we have a l-l-look? I d-d-don't want t-to stay out here," Katia said with a chill. That damned prince didn't allow her to wear something warmer to wear, so now, she was freezing her ass off while everyone else was nice and warm.

Soma smacked his forehead as he said, "How could I forget to give her a coat? I'm so sorry. Here, I know a way to help," he said as he hugged her, trying to help her.

"Can we go inside yet?!"

"Of course," Sebastian said as he carefully snuck all of them inside the estate to make sure no one was watching. They searched the entire dark estate until they managed to find a lit room and peaked inside through a slightly open door.

"Why not have a Scotch and relax? It's top-notched Scotch from Justerini & Brooks, holders of the Royal Warrant," Harold said as he offered a glass to Agni, who looked as he was not happy to be there. "Our plans have been perfect so far. Don't look so tormented, old chap. You've done well for me, Agni. You don't have to string up people anymore; we've crushed all of my major rivals and with this godly right hand, the Royal Warrant is as good as mine."

"A Royal Warrant," Ciel repeated to himself. "So, that's what this is about?"

"And if I carry out this plan as promised, then Mina will . . . ," Agni tried to say, but was interrupted when Soma barged into the room at the sound of her name.

"Who are you," Harold yelled in shock.

"My prince," Agni said in surprise.

"You bloody idiot-," Ciel tried to say, but Sebastian covered his mouth so he wouldn't make any more noise.

"They will recognize us. We have to watch and wait," he said.

"But I don't," Katia said as she barged into the room too.

"What is the meaning of this?! You've known where Mina was all along," Soma inquired his very embarrassed butler.

"Oh, so that boy is your master," Harold questioned, but soon, a katana was positioned at his throat.

"So, you must be the one who took Mina away," Katia said, but Harold only smiled.

"My, my, he has the most interesting people working for him. I bet you taught this girl to hold a sword to make her look intimidating and nothing else."

"How dare you insult her like that? Agni, defeat him," Soma ordered, but Agni didn't do anything. Instead, he seemed like he was trying to resist. "Agni, what are you waiting for?"

"Agni, are you going to take care of this brat for me," Harold said. Agni tired to resist, but he could no longer. He then proceeded to strike his dear prince, but Katia got in the way of his blow and was hit with his hand. It managed to throw her against the wall, but she got up immediately.

"Ow, that kind of hurt, but I'll make sure you can't hurt him," Katia said as she positioned herself with her katana.

"Katia, this isn't your fight to fight," Soma yelled, but she ran to fight him. He then took off the bandages on his hand to reveal a powerful hand that seemed otherworldly. He tried to attack her and she tried to slice him, but before they could even fight, Sebastian blocked both of their attacks . . . with a deer head on his head.

"What the . . . fuck," Katia said.

"What? How? Who the devil is this deer man," Harold yelled in confusion.

"Thank you for starting the obvious. I am a deer who has come to take this prince home," he said calmly.

"A-Agni, H-He might be an enemy spy!"

"No, I am one hell of a deer-,"

"Kill him! You don't want your promise go to waste, do you?"

However, Agni fell on to his knees and started crying, but his tears weren't regular tears. They seemed to be . . . blood. For once in his life, Sebastian was glad that Lilliana wasn't here to see this. "Since I was reborn, I had only one god . . . only one master. I vowed that I'd only swing this fist for my god's sake. For the crime of betraying that god . . . please forgive me," he yelled.

"Agni, don't tell me you're-," Soma said before he saw that Agni aimed his first to his master. Sebastian grabbed the prince before he could strike and Katia made sure that Agni would never hit them by redirecting his attacks so that they would break everything in the room.

Harold looked in horror as he saw his beloved prize possessions being destroyed right before his eyes. "Hey, those are the crystal glasses I bought at Thomas Goode!"

"Hey, we'll attract attention if this commotion keeps up! Take him and get out of here," Ciel said as Lau ran off with him to escape.

"Certainly," Sebastian and Katia said as they exited through the window to the ground below. Agni could only look in shame as he watched his master leave, thankfully unharmed.

* * *

"With that much power, there is no way he is an ordinary human being," Lau said as he had tea with Soma, who was trying to figure out the situation.

"It's Samadhi, a state of mental concentration. When he gets like that, no one can touch him," he explained.

"I imagine it's a type of trance. He's producing superhuman power through his absolute faith in his master. It's the power of faith, born from believing in and loving someone. A power we can never have," Katia explained as she looked at Sebastian.

"Then we why would he betray me? Why do people close to me always leave," Soma said as he angrily swept the table so that the tea set in front of him would fall and shatter on the floor.

"Why, you-," Ciel said angrily.

"Why? Why," Soma said as he angrily left the room.

"Oh, just look at the Havilland tea set I ordered. It would seem that I must show that unruly prince some discipline," Sebastian said.

"I'll clean it up," Katia said as she quickly ran to get a broom, but she couldn't help but see Soma crying on his way to the guest room. She sighed as she said, "It really must suck to be in his position, but how would I know? I'll never experience that . . . unless I change my mind about Lilliana." She soon came into the room with the broom and dustpan in hand, but was surprised to see Ciel and Sebastian gone. The only one left drinking tea was Lau. "Where did they go?"

"They said they wanted to talk that prince, which must be very exhausting for the young lord," he said. "But do you mind answering a few questions for me?"

"Questions?"

"For a sweet girl, you seem to wield such a skill in sword-fighting. Why work here?"

"I told you, Lady Elizabeth wanted me to work here."

"Is that all? You're not trying to hide something?"

"No, I'm not."

"Are you sure? A person with your skill wouldn't want to hide her abilities unless she wanted to forget a dark past."

"Shut it," she said angrily.

"Ah, there is something hidden. What is it?"

"Even if there was, why would I tell you?"

"You don't have to, I guess, but I have one more question for you . . . Who are you again?"

"What the hell?! You met me before everyone else did!" Suddenly, the door opened and in came the trio and Ciel and Soma sat in their chairs while Sebastian served some tea for everyone.

"I didn't realize that West would be after a Royal Warrant, though, it _is_ something a man obsessed with status would want," Ciel said.

"What is a Royal Warrant," Katia asked as she handed a cup to Soma, but he dragged her down so she would be sitting on his lap, but she stood right back up. "For once, could you stop flirting with me?"

"I'm sorry, but you're so beautiful," he said shyly. "Plus, I need some companionship while we figure out this situation."

"It's when the royal family officially endorses their favorite shops. The Royal Warrant holders are official purveyors to the Crown. With it, sales are guaranteed to increase since the Queen sets the trends for everything, from fashion to food," Lau explained.

"I am told that one week from now, a curry exhibition will be held as part of the festivities at the Crystal Palace and that Her Majesty, a celebrated lover of curry, will be in attendance," Sebastian said.

"It is just a rumor. Ever since her husband, Prince Albert, died, she refuses to make any public appearances," Ciel said.

"Why bring that up? Is there a connection between the curry exhibition and the crimes," Soma asked.

"Curry is the main attraction at West's coffeehouse. If he obtains a Royal Warrant for his curry, his sales are certain to go up. He was using Agni to commit those crimes in order to crush his rivals in the curry show. Those insults to England were written to make us think it was done by an Indian with a grudge against the British. He used Mina to make Agni do his dirty work, I imagine for the sake of his god," Ciel said as Sebastian handed him the note they retrieved from the crime scene and showed it to Soma. "Your people worship Kali, the goddess who sticks out her tongue, and Agni, the man who drew this, worships."

"He did it all for you. I suppose he poured all his prayers and apology into those letters," Katia said as she examined the letter closely.

"Even after leaving you, he believes in you and lives for you. You have a fine butler," Sebastian said.

"My, my, what a happy ending! It appears our work here is done. Now we can leave the rest to the Yard," Lau said.

"Wait, then what will happen to Agni and Mina," Soma said as he got up from his chair to confront him.

"Who knows?"

"We've established the criminal underworld isn't behind this. It has nothing to do with us," Ciel said.

"I know this is my problem. I'll try to think of a way to solve it myself," Soma said.

"That's the right attitude," Ciel said, "I suppose I'll do my duties as well. I was called to London in the winter because of these silly crimes. Don't you think I deserve a little something for that? Fortunately, thanks to West, the famous curry places won't be able to enter the competition. So, if our company enters, all we would have to worry about is West. If we win, the Royal Warrant is ours. I'd just been thinking of expanding the business into the food industry. If I start by winning a Warrant in the curry show, it's sure to generate buzz."

"But you only have a week before the contest. Can you get your curry experts and equipment in time," Lau asked curiously.

"I don't need those. Do I, Sebastian?"

"If I couldn't make a simple curry dish, than what kind of butler would I be? I shall secure the Royal Warrant for-," Sebastian said before he was interpreted.

"That's impossible. There is no way you can win. They have Agni and his godly right hand of Kali," Soma said.

"Yes, Agni is a remarkable fighter, but this isn't a combat sport; it's a cooking competition," Katia tried to explain.

"That's my point. You don't know Agni's true power. You don't know true curry! The key to curry is the mixture of spices, but the possibilities are endless. Choosing the best combination among them is an extremely difficult task. It's like trying to find one truth in a vast universe, but Agni can do it. He creates worlds or of nothingness. His power is on the same plane as the gods'. That's why people have called him the Godly Right Hand of Kali. I've never tasted curry that can even begin to compare to Agni's."

"I see, so his power is creating the curry of Kali," Lau said before laughing.

"Goodness gracious, he sounds like a challenge, but as long as my master orders me to win, I won't lose. I'll make some curry right now," Sebastian said before leaving the room, but Katia soon followed him.

"You . . . wouldn't mind if I joined you, would you?"

"I appreciate the help, but I can do this on my own," he said before shutting the door on her face.

"Hey, don't you slam the door on me," she said before opening it and following him. As soon as they were at a good distance away from the rest, she yelled, "What the hell was that for?! You could have just-,"

"I needed to do that to prove to my young master that you are not special. I did that with Lilliana and now, he has forbidden me from seeing her while she's away."

"Seeing her? Are you two . . . you know, a couple?"

"N-No, but she has made life as a butler more . . . interesting."

"Oh, well, I can say that I see her at work, but that's it. I can't seem to find her anywhere else."

"At least we know she's all right. Now, let's get to cooking," Sebastian said as he opened the door to the kitchen.

* * *

"D-Did you two make all these yourselves," Prince Soma asked in utter shock. It only had been a couple of hours since they last talked, but the two of them prepared maybe a hundred types of curry for Soma to try.

"Yes, but you're the only one who knows Agni's curry. I'd like your help to make a more divine curry as soon as possible," Sebastian said as he served the first type to Soma.

"A-All right. If eating curry will be useful, I'll eat as much as you please! I'll do it Mina, Agni, and maybe my lovely maid," he said flirtatiously, but she rolled her eyes.

"Just get to eating," Katia said with a fake smile.

After an hour of trying curry, they had a detailed critique of each curry they made, from learning not to use curry powder to creating the perfect mixture of spices. They even imported spices from India thanks to Lau. However, Soma told them that there was something lacking in each curry, but they made so many types of curry that he was too full to eat another bite. Sebastian left their side to make Ciel his afternoon sweet, making Katia very uncomfortable. At least he was too full to flirt with her, but she didn't like the way the prince was ogling her. It wasn't with lust, thankfully, but it was still uncomfortable to be looked at the way she would look at Lilliana. Oh god, was she that obvious? Did Lilliana see? The thought of Lilliana seeing her like that caused her to blush with embarrassment. "Is being alone with me making you blush?"

"No, it's not! I'm just thinking about someone I . . . really, really like."

"What? You love someone else? Ah, that's saddening to hear."

"Yes and I appreciate it if you would stop the flirting."

"Who is this person? What is he like so I can possible find a way to be like him?"

" _She_ is wonderful, unique, and nothing like the co-workers I'm usually surrounded by. She's also . . . dangerous, but I love her so."

"She? Is that even acceptable in your country," Soma asked with utter shock. A _woman_ won her heart?

"Where I come from, gender doesn't matter. In fact, we really aren't supposed to love at all, but somehow, she's made my heart flutter every time I see her. Though, I can't stay here for long, so leaving her will be so hard."

"Can I at least know her name?"

"Her name is Lili-," she tried to say, but she heard the door open and in came Sebastian with the chocolate cake he made for his master. "What's the matter? He didn't want it?"

"No, but he gave me an unusual order," he said as he walked to a pot of curry and then dumped the cake into it.

"What the hell? Why would you do that?"

"That's what my master ordered. You never know, it might actually be the key ingredient." After a while of cooking, Sebastian served the curry to Soma, who was reluctant to try it at first.

"You have to do this," Katia said. Eventually, Soma reluctantly took the plate and took a bite, but his eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh my! This is the best curry you've made! It's not exactly like Agni's, but it is very delicious! It seems to blend English and Indian culture together without clashing. You have somehow managed to make a divine curry in such a short amount of time!"

"Wow, who knew Ciel knew how to make curry," Katia said in surprise.

* * *

A week had past and the group, including the servants and Ran-Mao, arrived to the Crystal Palace. They noticed the many people that gathered for this event along with the decorations that surrounded the area. One could have mistaken that they were in India . . . if it looked ten times richer.

"Well, I have certain preparations to make, so I must excuse myself," Sebastian said before leaving their side.

"Get the job done," Ciel said coldly.

Sebastian walked a little ways toward the waiting area, but he heard some noises around him, like someone ran to hide or was pushed to hide. It didn't help that he heard a familiar voice quietly saying, "Sh, I don't want him to see- Ow! What was that for?!" Usually, he would investigate the noise, but it didn't concern him and he already had an order from Ciel that he couldn't refuse. As he walked to the waiting room, the two people came out of hiding. "Lilliana, why did you have to slap me?"

"Why did _you_ have to push me behind a doorway and cover my mouth," she asked rather angrily.

"Sebastian was walking by and if he saw you-,"

"Oh, that's what it was?! You could have just told me that and I would have hid."

"I had to take some precautions. Who knows, you might have froze by seeing him."

"I already told you that our relationship is nothing more than an attraction! Grim Reapers can't feel love; it's just in our nature and anyone who says otherwise is just kidding themselves: ( _cough_ ) Grell Sutcliff ( _cough_ )."

"Grell Sutcliff? She was the lovesick Reaper, wasn't she? I swear, she was in love with like three men, I included."

"Wait, did you just say 'she'?"

"Yeah, Grell is a woman, right," he asked, but she was silent. However, out of nowhere, she started laughing like a hyena. "What's so funny?!"

"Grell is a . . . well, let's just say for now, he's not quite a woman," she said in between laughs followed by a loud gasp for air.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You got to be joking. There's no way that she's a man."

"That's what everyone else calls him except for himself."

Bastille then covered his face in shame as he said, "Do you realize that I had to seduce Grell to work with me? I told her . . . him . . . that I would . . . ,"

Lilliana continued to laugh loudly at the realization. "Well, you're lucky that we stopped him before anything got out of hand."

"This is so humiliating! I can never look at him the same way ever again!"

"Well, I hope you don't. I make it a mission that you two never see each other again, so don't worry about that."

"Thank you all for waiting," an announcer said to the audience surrounding the contest. "It's time for the Curry Festival to begin, put on by the Best of London Curry." He gestured the judges, who they noticed included Viscount Druitt.

"God dammit, why is he here? I bet Ciel is having a panic attack with him around," she said before chuckling. However, as she looked at the competitors, she saw a familiar face.

"What the hell is he doing here," Bastille asked angrily.

"How am I suppose to know; Katia hasn't told me anything about this. He's probably on a mission from the Queen."

"And now, let the cooking be-," the announcer tried to say, but was interrupted what seemed to be the sound of trumpets that usually would announce the arrival of royalty. They noticed the doors opening behind them and saw a short woman with a black dress and veil covering her face along with a tall man dressed in all white by her side.

"Her Majesty," Ciel said in surprise. Out of all the people to show up today, he didn't think that the Queen herself would actually show up.


	14. Competing for Loyalty

"My word! Her Majesty Queen Victoria, mother of England, has favored us with her honored presence," the announcer said as the Queen and her butler, named Ash, walked down the aisle. Everyone looked in awe as they were excited to have such a high-profile guest come see their humble little contest. They even started singing "God Save the Queen" as she walked by, except Katia, who was singing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" under her breath since it had the exact same melody.

"Wow, I've been in England for about one hundred and fifty years and I still don't know the bloody words to this song," Lilliana said to Bastille, but they both laughed about it. However, she noticed something . . . familiar about Ash. "I could have sworn I've seen that man before. He looks so familiar."

"What gave you that idea," he said in a subtle nervous tone as he guided her to the back of the group so they wouldn't be seen by anyone.

"I don't know. That white hair and purple eyes look familiar," she said, but was interrupted as the Queen finally made it to a chair specially placed for her and sat down, but not before she whispered something in Ash's ear.

He nodded and said to the crowd, "Her Majesty bids me tell you, 'I apologize for my inability to appear before you for so long. However, I am now I'm such perfect health that I may even enjoy curry again. My late husband, Albert, was very fond of curry as well. I look forward to examining the fruits of your labors'."

The crowd cheered and the announcer said, "And with that, allez cuisine." At the sound of those words, the chefs began work on their curry masterpieces. Agni took off the bandages on his hand and began creating the perfect curry, which impressed even Lilliana and Bastille, who knew nothing about curry or the Indian man creating it.

"How is an English citizen going to beat an Indian man at his own food? They might as well just give up now," Bastille said.

"I don't know about that," Lilliana said as she pointed at Sebastian, who seemed to be just as skilled as Agni, but he added a strange ingredient to his pot of curry: chocolate. Everyone looked in disgust since they never imagined something sweet would be in such a unique food.

"Actually, you are all mistaken; that is a legitimate seasoning," Agni told the crowd. "The blend of cacao, oil, milk, and sugar provides aroma and bitterness and gives it a mellow, full-bodied flavor. Where did an Englishman like you get such an idea?"

"My master ordered me to do it. I carry out my master's orders to the detail, no matter how unreasonable they may be. You see, I am simply one hell of a butler," Sebastian explained.

"That was supposed to be sarcasm," Ciel said under his breath.

"But you somehow made it delicious, young lord," Katia said.

"What a bond between master and servant," Agni said before looking into the crowd, as if he was searching for someone, but when he couldn't find who he looking for, he pulled out something very unique out of a basket: a blue lobster. Everyone looked with awe as they saw the magnificent ingredient in front of them, but Viscount Druitt seemed to love the lobster as much as he loved any woman. "Sebastian, I shall devote everything I have to defeating you! Your time is up," Agni said as he seemed to work even harder into creating the perfect curry, scaring the other chefs around him, but not Sebastian. Soon, time was up and all the curry was put on a plate and presented to the judges.

"First, we have Parson Tubb & Company's beef curry," the announcer said as the curry was presented to the judges. It was liked by some of the judges, but not all, especially since the chef used curry powder.

"Next, we have Dhol & Company!" Viscount Druitt seemed to smell a certain spice out of the dish, but couldn't label what it was. He liked it, but the other judges didn't agree.

"Next up is Chef Agni from Harold West & Company!" His curry was a thali of seven types of curry with blue lobster and with only one bite; all the judges seemed to love it.

"Such high praises from our judges; is victory assured or can the last contestant claim victory? Next is Funtom Company," the announcer said. Sebastian walked up to the judges and presented his curry, but something threw them off: it was covered in round dough.

"What are you playing at," one of the judges yelled, as if insulted by the presentation. Sebastian then put the dough in frying oil, which confused the judges even more. Even the servants and everyone around them were confused by what he was doing, but only Katia knew what he was planning.

"They're finished. This is Funtom Company curry," Sebastian said as he presented the now fried . . . curry to the judges, but once they sliced into the dish, they soon saw that there was curry inside the crust, which amazed both the judges and the crowd. "This is the curry Funtom is proud to present. We call it . . . the curry bun!"

"See, Sebastian has some skills up his sleeves," Lilliana said to Bastille, but he gave her an angry glare. The judges were reluctant, but they took a bite and were surprised at how good the curry bun was. In fact, they seemed to love it.

"Even more high praise; is the outcome of this battle in doubt? We'll now leave our judges to deliberate," the announcer said. "In the meantime, feel free to try any curry you like!" Everyone gathered around the table that the curry bun and Agni's curry was at, but since Lilliana and Bastille were in the back, they couldn't get any. However, the table that had the "unique aroma" curry was available and they decided to have some. They both took a bite and . . .

"It's okay. I mean, the smell is delicious, but it doesn't give me the impression that it was made by the finest chef. What do you think," Bastille said, but he saw that Lilliana already finished hers. "I assume that you like it?"

"Sorry, I was hungry and it tasted pretty good. I wonder if there's any more left," she said before leaving his side.

"Wait, you can't get that close to the front," he said as he ran after her. She eventually reached the curry tables, but noticed that there were still curry buns left for them to eat, which was perfect for them, or at least, for her. "Are you crazy? Sebastian could have seen you!"

"I wanted more curry. Besides, there are still some curry buns," she said as she tried to hand one to her brother, but he refused to take it.

"Get that away from me," he said firmly.

"What's wrong? You don't want to try it," she said innocently, but then she realized something. "Or is it because it was made by Sebastian?"

"T-That's not it at all!"

"Yes it is and you know it. Ugh, you don't have to be so immature that you won't try something that could be really delicious just because someone you don't like made it." She took a bite of the curry bun and she commented, "It is actually delicious."

"You got your curry bun; now let's head to the back before someone sees us," he said as he pushed her to the back, but the two people he didn't want to see them did see them: Sebastian and Katia. Sebastian smiled to see her again, but Katia looked at Bastille with a cold glare at she tightened her grip on her katana.

Suddenly, they saw that Sebastian was approaching the Queen with a plate of his curry bun. "Please accept this, Your Majesty," he said with a smile as Ash took the plate from his hands and gave it to the Queen. She then took a bite of the curry bun and whispered something to Ash.

"Her Majesty bid me tell you, 'you were considerate enough to make this easy for even a child go eat, requiring no knife or fork. Treating all equality, rich and poor, adult and child, it embodies the ideal I strive for: a kind and noble country'. Her Majesty is deeply moved by your kind attitude in treasuring our children, our future," he said.

"Don't make me laugh," a feminine Indian voice said from the crowd. They saw a woman in Indian clothing, but she had a dark aura around her and red glowing eyes. "How you flatter yourselves! Equality? The queen of a wealthy country like this who has never done any hard work has no place saying that!"

"Mina, stop! You're in front of Her Majesty," West said as he tried to calm her down, but she elbowed him in the gut and it was so strong that it sent him flying. The police even tried to restrain her, but even a group of men were no match for this one woman. Eventually, more people shared the same aura and red eyes as Mina and started to terrorize everyone around them, but they all seemed to gather around Ciel.

"We have to help," Lilliana said as she pulled out her Death Scythe and tried to run to him, but she felt a strong hand hold him back.

"You're not going anywhere," Bastille said. "Not before I kill Sebastian Michaelis!" At those words, the dark aura surrounded him, but his eyes didn't turn red, since technically, they were already. He then pulled out his demon sword and headed for Sebastian, who was just protecting his master from the crowd surrounding his young master. Soon, Bastille attacked him and luckily for Sebastian, he had a ladle in hand to block it.

"It's about time you made your move," Sebastian said as he continuously fought the out-of-control demon.

"I will kill you for hurting my sister," he yelled as he continued to swing the sword at him.

"Who the hell is that," Ciel asked Sebastian as he saw the fight happening, but before he could respond, Lilliana kicked her brother in the side to stop their fighting.

"I didn't want to do that, but if you're going to act like an annoying brat, I have no choice," she said.

"Stay out of this, Lily! This is between him and me!"

"What kind of brother would sacrifice his sister's happiness for a petty rivalry," she said as she positioned her Death Scythe for a fight. Everyone looked in both horror and shock by everything happening, but Katia couldn't help anyone since she had specific orders from Lilliana to not act like a Grim Reaper or demonstrate supernatural abilities or else Ciel would get suspicious of her. She just had to wait while her crush and target were fighting each other.

In the meantime, Sebastian and Agni fought the other victims of the "Kali" curry. Mina was heading for Ciel and Katia, but Prince Soma blocked her to protect them, which terrified Agni and confused both Ciel and Katia. "This is the only way to calm Kali. Come at me, Mina," he yelled, but before she could reach them, she tripped on a blue lobster and fell on her face, but he ran to her and put his foot on her back. "Mina, forgive me!"

"Sebastian, feed the people curry buns," Ciel ordered. Sebastian nodded and started throwing his curry buns into the victim's mouths and sure enough, the people started calming down, including Mina, but one person was still a victim.

"I've warned you Sebastian, but you have violated her and now you're going to pay," Bastille said as he managed to even throw his sword at him, but still missed. Sebastian tried to throw curry buns into his mouth, but he dodged them.

"Bastille, calm the fuck down," Lilliana said as she tried to grab the demon sword, but she wasn't quick enough. Instead, he managed to grab it and swung it around to get ready for another fight, but in the process, he managed to graze Lilliana and blood was slowly spilling out of her. "Ow, fuck, I just got better," she said as she knelt to the ground. He stopped fighting Sebastian as he saw his injured sister and ran up to her.

"Lily, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt y-," he said before his mouth was filled with a curry bun.

"Eat the fucking curry bun," she said with a weak voice. Soon, his aura disappeared and he seemed to be better, but he was visibly exhausted from the fighting he did.

"Lilliana," the servants called in glee as they were about to hug their fellow coworker, but they too saw the blood spouting out of her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I just need to go and help my . . .," she tried to say while picking up her brother and his demon sword, but saw Sebastian and Ciel walking her way. "I have to go," she said as she ran surprisingly fast out of the Crystal Palace.

"So, even a demon managed to go berserk after eating the Kali curry. I'm surprised she managed to fight him for as long as she did," Sebastian said under his breath.

"Her Majesty bids me tell you, 'These curry buns full of kindness defeated the demon spice and even healed those who had become been afflicted. The winner of the Royal Warrant has been decided'," Ash said as he awarded the Funtom Company the Royal Warrant.

As the sunset approached, the Crystal Palace was being cleaned from the disaster that preceded it and the victims of the attack were carried off to the nearest hospital. "How will they be handled," Ciel asked as he saw that Mina was carried off on a cot to an ambulance.

"I do not believe they will be treated badly," Ash said as he approached the group. "Lord Phantomhive, I congratulate you on your remarkable work today and on obtaining a Royal Warrant. Her Majesty has expressed her gratitude. She bids me tell you, 'I apologize for causing you trouble. I have been watching your work closely. I am in the light as you are in the shadow. Though our positions are different, I trust we wish for the same thing'. Please continue to aid Her Majesty."

"Of course," Ciel said.

"Then I bid you farewell," he said as he left their side.

"Thank you, Ciel. If I had never met you, I'd still be an ignorant, selfish brat. There is still so much to learn. Starting today, I'll learn many things and tour all England, no, _the world_ until I become a man second to none."

"Sebastian, your household has taught us many things. I don't know how to thank you," Agni said as he kneeled to the ground and bowed his head, like he would for his master.

"Please, raise your head. I merely fought for my own reasons. There is nothing you need to thank me for. The gods you believe in, Kali and Shiva, were able to realize their mistakes through their mutual pain, just like the two of you and you know what they say: Without pain, we can never truly grow.'," Sebastian said.

"I'm embarrassed to have to relearn my country's teachings from an Englishman."

"Nationality is irreverent. All places, all times, are essentially the same and so is human nature," Katia said.

"Yes, just as the evening sun over the Ganges River and the evening sun over the Thames are equally beautiful," Agni said.

All of the sudden, Soma hugged his new friend and started to cry like a little kid. "Mina!"

"Let me go! Stop it! You're getting my clothes wet" Ciel yelled.

"I'm very glad my prince and I came to England. My prince and I both met the greatest of friends," Agni said.

"Friends? You're the first person to ever say something like that to me," Sebastian said in surprise.

"And I hope one day, you will change your mind about being my prince's wife. We promise a life of bliss and luxury," Agni said.

"It sounds great, but I'm still not interested. I already mentioned to him that a wo- someone has already won my heart," she said with a smile.

"Oh, that's unfortunate to hear, but the offer is always available if you do change your mind."

* * *

"Dammit, Bastille, how does a sword hurt me this much," Lilliana said as they finally arrived to the motel room that they have been staying at while she was gone. She quickly lay on the bed as he found some clothes for her to change into since the ones she wore were bloodstained.

"It's a demon sword; it is capable of killing demon, but I guess it works as well with Grim Reapers," he said as he handed her a new shirt for her to wear. "Would you like to change in the bathroom?"

"Yeah, give me that," she said as she grabbed the shirt and changed in the bathroom. Through the door, she yelled, "Uh, Bastille, the shirt is a little small." She then opened the door and he could see that the shirt was maybe one size too small for her. The shirt didn't cover her entire stomach, but it didn't show it off either, though, it did reveal the bandage. The sleeves didn't even reach the wrist and the buttons around her chest looked like they were going to pop at anytime.

"Oh, sorry. I bought that shirt for you recently, but it seems you grew up a bit while I was away."

"Well, I guess one hundred and fifty years ages a Grim Reaper," she said as she lied on the bed, but not before yawning very loudly. "Well, I had a long day today. I guess it's time for us to go to bed."

"I guess so, but I'm sorry again for hurting you today. I could have killed you," he said very apologetically.

"It wasn't you; it was the spice. You had no control of your actions, but I'm glad that you calmed down," she said as she drifted to sleep. He never liked to sleep right as soon as she did because she would toss and turn on the bed for a good minute before she fell into a deep sleep. Soon, she did, back facing him, but before he could rest his head, he noticed, thanks to the shortness of the shirt, what looked like a tattoo on her lower back. He hated to do this, especially when she was asleep, but he had to see what it was. He slowly lifted her shirt and saw something he was horrified to see: the mark of the covenant.

"Dammit, Sebastian! You really did defile her and marked her as your own," he said intensely under his breath. "I can't believe you would toy with her emotions like that! She suffered so much in her past and now you've done this to her? Was she in pain? Did she . . . remember what happened? No, if she did, she would have never done it in the first place. She was so terrified back then, to the point that her only salvation was death. She needs to be pure again and the only way that can happen is if I kill him! . . . That spice was powerful, but it had little effect on a demon. I just used that as an excuse to kill him, but I had to act calm when she fed me the curry bun. I almost had him, but she had to protect him. . . . Not only that, but Katia Vendoa was there. I need to stay away from her if I want to be in my sister's life, but she is close to her! She acts sweet, but deep down, she is a cold-blooded killer. Be careful the company you keep, Lily. She is not to be trusted. . . . Ugh, I still can't believe Grell is a man!"

* * *

"So that was her brother, Bastille, we saw today," Ciel said as he was being dressed into his pajamas by Sebastian.

"Yes, but he has quite a grudge on me, apparently."

"I'm surprised they are siblings since they look nothing alike."

"They might have looked alike at a point, but one of them must have changed drastically when they became deities."

"Became deities? I thought one was born into that."

"Not necessarily, my young lord. There is no such thing as natural siblings in the deity worlds, but if they were siblings in their human lives, their memories can possibly stay with them. However, I don't think she remembers her life as a human."

"What gives you that idea?"

"Well, Bastille seems overprotective of her because of something that happened in her past, but she doesn't know what. She has an idea, but I doubt that's what it is, especially since he hates the fact that a demon is 'corrupting her'."

"That's funny, coming from the demon that made her more dangerous that even that redheaded Grim Reaper fears her."

"My thoughts exactly, but I guess she won't be here for a longer period of time than expected."

"Well, that fine with me. Still, next week is going to be hectic with the show we are going to show to those orphan children. I just hope we can pull it off."

"As long as you wish it to be, everything will be fine. I promise you that, my young lord."

"I hope you're right, Sebastian. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes, my lord."


	15. Unexpected Performers

"'On the night of the Funtom Company's third anniversary, they will be showing a free play for orphaned children. The show will be Hamlet'. I see we're getting a fair bit of press for this," Ciel said while reading the article about his company's latest publicity stunt, but this one would be certain to receive a lot of praise.

"I didn't anticipate you doing charity work like this. I must admit that I admire your philanthropic spirit, young master," Sebastian said as he poured his young master his afternoon tea and served it to him.

"These days, love breeds money. People will say that 'Funtom gives orphaned children love'. We can use that to our advantage," Ciel said, but was interrupted by the loud sobs of the other servants in the room.

"Love for the poor orphan children, oh, it brings tears to my eyes," Baldroy said in between sobs.

"Our young master must know how they feel because he lost his own parents," Finnian said.

"Stop all that crying! Did you hear what I just said," Ciel asked loudly.

"Just what I'd expect from our young master, or rather, from a child," Katia said, but received an angry stare from Ciel.

"Out of the plays to show, Hamlet seems to be the most fitting. After Prince Hamlet's father, the king, is murdered, Hamlet vows to avenge him even at the cost of his own life. The play might as well have been written for you, young master," Sebastian said as he examined the article.

"It just happened to be in the repertoire of the troupe I hired. I don't care about the plot-,"

"Young master, an accident has happened to the actors," Mey-Rin said as she ran in the study to tell her master the bad news.

"What? An accident?"

"Yes, my lord. The ship carrying the actors ran into some trouble and they won't arrive to London until next week!"

Ciel sighed in frustration as he said, "The performance will debut in three days. Do you know how much advertising I've done? The bloody press will be all over us that day. We can't possibly reschedule."

"What shall we do, my lord," Katia asked.

"We have no other choice. Sebastian, this is an order: make the show a success and worthy of the Phantomhive name," Ciel ordered.

"Yes, my lord," he said with a bow as he left the room to gather actors that would be willing to be part of this show, but unfortunately for him, the only people he could find were friends of Ciel, or should he say "friends". Soon, he managed to get everybody that was interested to the estate to rehearse for the show, but they all had other interests in mind.

"Well, my dear Ran-Mao, what part do you want to play," Lau said to his sweet "sister".

"Seaweed," she said in a serious tone.

"If I'm going to be in a play, naturally, I'll be Ramakrishna," Prince Soma said.

"Oh, my prince, I just know you'll be sublime. You'll be the star of the show," Agni said in adoration.

"I want to be a gorgeous princess and wear a poufy skirt with three petticoats," Lizzie said with hope in her voice.

Undertaker giggled as he said, "If we're going all out, I wouldn't be caught dead with less than five."

"What? You're going to be a princess too? That wouldn't be cute at all!"

"So, people want to be seaweed, an Indian god, or princesses. My, are they going to be disappointed," Katia said as she examined the room, but made sure that she was a good distance away from Soma.

"Haven't I told you all that this is Hamlet," Ciel yelled to the chatting group. "Sebastian, why did you pick all these amateurs? Are you putting on a school play?"

"This is as it should be. In its proper form, a charity play is something staged at home by the master of the house. It's not something you pay a theatrical troupe to do. Moreover, I have faith in this particular group. I believe this particular group will tolerate a bit of harsh direction. They know better than to argue with certain people. Naturally, you'll be performing as well, young master," Sebastian said.

"What?!"

"I'm sure it's not a problem. You understand what the best response is to this crisis and will rise to the occasion. After all, you're an adult, aren't you," Katia said mockingly to her young master.

Soon rehearsal began and the first thing they practiced was vocal exercises. Sebastian sat on the bench near the piano and played a chord to get people's attention. "It's time to begin. Repast after me," Sebastian said as he began to sing the arpeggio of a scale. The cast repeated the phrase back to him, not perfectly, but close. However, one voice was noticeably different from the rest. Sebastian stopped himself to see that Lau was getting a foot massage from Ran-Mao and he apparently loved it. "That's enough of that." Sebastian tried to continue, but was interrupted by yet another voice.

"Oh yes! So perfect! So wonderful," Soma said about the curry that Agni made.

"No curry either," Sebastian said coldly.

"Why not? It's very good," Soma said with a full mouth.

"There's plenty to go around. Feel free to-," Agni said, but was stopped mid-sentence.

"No, thank you," Sebastian said. "And now, we work on acting." Katia handed scripts to everyone and Sebastian instructed Ciel to recite the famous monologue said by Hamlet.

"'To be or not to be: that is the question'," Ciel said, but like he would read out of a textbook.

"Young master, put a bit more heart into it," Katia said as kindly as she could.

Ciel nervously recited the line again, "'T-To be or not to be'-,"

"To not be, of course! That's a _dead_ certainty," a voice said. They looked up and they saw two red scissors headed their way, but they landed on the floor in front of Ciel.

"Shit," Katia said since she knew exactly whose scissors they belonged to.

Suddenly, the doors slammed open and they saw Grell enter in his usual flamboyant way. "What pathetically horrid acting! Do us all a favor and drop dead this instant, my hideous little Prince Hamlet!"

"Grell?! What are you doing here," Ciel asked angrily.

"Who is that? I have the strangest feeling I've seen him before," Lizzie said contemplatively. She was sure she heard that name before.

"You have absolutely no heart! Don't you want to convey all the anguish that Hamlet is feeling? You have to make it echo throughout the theater! Come on, try it like this: 'to be, or not to be: that is the question'," he recited like a true actor, but then started singing as he headed for his dear Bassy, "That's no question at all! When I met you, it changed me! The important thing is love! To be with you, I would do anything I had to, yeah." However, Sebastian put his baton into the Reaper's nose to push him away in a way that would be painful.

"No, I unquestionably recommend death to you. If you aren't careful, you will cease _to be_ ," Sebastian said in his cold tone.

"I see that love stands always but a step away from death. They coincide with each other so beautifully. Oh, Bassy, my excitement increases," Grell said before Sebastian removed the baton from his nose and he fell to the floor and began wiping it with a cloth.

"I must admit, this melodramatic, dubious acting may be worth making use of for our current position. At any rate, none of you have a sufficient sense of urgency. Put more effort into it!"

Grell then recognized Katia and was about to blow her cover, but she gestured him with a finger on her lips for him to keep quiet. "Hm, now I think about it, where is Lilliana? Though I do enjoy her absence immensely, I wouldn't want to be surprised with a beating anytime soon by that brute."

"Oh, she's away with her brother," Mey-Rin said to her now new rival. Anyone who loved Sebastian was an enemy.

"You mean to tell me that she has stolen that devilishly handsome man from me?! Why can't she let me have one man for myself?! I promise I'll take _good_ care of him."

"Calm down, miss," Katia said as she approached him. "You'll need to behave while you are a member of our cast."

"Why should I? All of you are talentless amateurs with no glimmer of hope! The only reason why I would stay is my dear Bassy."

"Well, then you should teach us how to act, that is, if you're good enough."

"Oh, honey, I am a professional born from the ashes of the greats, but if the play is going to be any good, then we have to teach them a few things about the true essence of acting!" Along with their conversation, many distractions prevented anyone from moving on. Ran-Mao demonstrated her 'seaweed' performance, Agni and Soma continued to eat curry, and Lizzie was putting on pretty pink hats on Undertaker.

Soon, the candles in the house flickered out and the room was dark. The only light in the entire room was a single candle lit by Sebastian. "Hamlet; the lack of even the faintest ray of hope in its plot prompts people to group it with Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth as one of Shakespeare's four great tragedies. In order for you to truly understand Hamlet, I'll give you a taste of the Phantomhive tragedy," he said as he terrified everyone in the room to the point where the faintest of heart screamed.

"Bassy, how terrifying you are!"

* * *

The three exhausting days finally passed and everyone was ready to show off all their hard work for the orphan children and, unfortunately, Viscount Druitt. Still, the excitement in the children's voices could be heard backstage, where some people prepared for their time on stage, except for the stagehands: Baldroy, Mey-Rin, and Prince Soma, who was disappointed to not get a role, and Katia, who made it clear that she didn't want a role.

"Look at that! The house is packed," Finny said with excitement.

"Woo-hoo; now I'm getting all worked up," Bard said with equal excitement.

Katia helped Grell with his makeup and hair as they waited for the show to begin. "You look really beautiful, Grell. I wish I looked as beautiful as you," she said.

"Don't be too harsh on yourself. You don't look _that_ bad. Besides, the men at work always flirt with you. ( _Sigh_ ) I wish I had the beauty you have. Then maybe men would love me."

"But look at you now! I'm sure if any man saw you, they would fall to their knees."

"You really think so?"

"Of course, look how good you look," Katia said as she showed him his reflection on the mirror.

He loved the image he saw and said with adoration, "Ah, now I'm really showing my prowess as an actress."

"Do you think that . . . never mind," she said nervously.

"What? You can tell me."

"Well, do you think that Lilliana will show up to this? After all, it _is_ her master's show."

"Don't get your hopes up, darling. As long as she is around her brother, she can't come anywhere near my darling Bassy, which is for the better."

"I suppose you're right; it's just a crazy theory," she said with a disappointed look.

"Ugh, this costume isn't cute at all," Lizzie said as she put on her costume, but it was nothing like the outfits she was used to wearing, but Undertaker was in a nice pink dress, much to everyone's surprise. Even more shocking is that she seemed to enjoy wearing the dress. Did they decide to switch fashion choices for tonight?

Soon, the show was ready to begin and Katia parted the curtains. Lau & Undertaker were already set on stage while Finny walked stage right to narrate the story so it was easier for the children to understand. "The previous king of Denmark has met an untimely death and his younger brother, Claudius, has been crowned king. The late king's wife, whom he'd love unconditionally, has scandalously become the bride of the new ruler."

The spotlight shined on the duo and Lau said, "Oh, I'm ever so sad about my dear brother's death, but since we are alive, we must enjoy ourselves!"

"I quite agree, my dear," Undertaker said with a chuckle.

Suddenly, Lau put his hand on Undertaker's chest, as if he was trying to grope breasts, which tickled him a lot. "Pardon my reach. Ah, you're perfect! So heavenly. Tickle, tickle, tickle." Soon, he couldn't handle it anymore and started to move all over the place to escape Lau's hands, laughing uncontrollably the entire time.

"I know I said I wanted laughter, but a direct attack like this is cheating!" He tried to hit Lau so he would stop, but he only continued and the spotlight on them was shut off.

Sebastian was by the exits of the stage, but he couldn't help, but hearing a familiar feminine laugh above him on t he other side of the stage. He looked up into the boxes and noticed a familiar face: Lilliana. She was wearing her Reaper uniform and had a huge smile on her face. He was glad to see her, but he knew he couldn't speak with her until intermission, when everyone was busy getting ready for Act II.

"The late king's son, Hamlet, encounters his father as a ghost," Finni said as Tanaka was lowered onto the stage by rope.

"O Father, what may this mean, that thou appearest before me so," Ciel said in a slightly unconvincing tone.

"Ho, ho, ho," Tanaka said, playing Hamlet's father.

"I see, my vile uncle, Claudius, that devil, hath killed thee by pouring poison in thy ear?"

"Ho, ho, ho."

"Yes, I see. Thou bid'st me take revenge in thy place. But of course, Father! Thy hatred hath survived the very fires of Hell. Here and now, I swear I shall avenge you!"

"What an enthusiastic performance, don't you think," Undertaker said as he fixed his makeup backstage.

"Dammit, man, move that light further to the right," Bard quietly yelled to Soma, who was now in charge of the lights.

"Why am I a stagehand," he said, almost about to cry about his role while eating a mouthful of curry.

"I tell you, because you would not stop eating curry. Now, how is the audience," Sebastian said as he looked into the crowd, but he noticed that the kids were either asleep or not even paying attention to the show. Katia looked too and was surprised to see Lilliana in the top box close to the theater and smiled, but had to make sure that Sebastian didn't see her. She wanted to be the only one to see her tonight.

"It seems Hamlet is too difficult for children to understand," Katia said.

"In order to deceive his uncle, Hamlet pretends to be disappointed in his love for Ophelia, the daughter of the king's chief counsel, and go mad," Finny said as Grell got on stage in his beautiful dress.

"Huh, who knew that Grell would look good in a dress," Lilliana said in her box. Bastille wouldn't allow her to see the show, even if the actors weren't the people she has been seeing on stage. Still, this was a Funtom production and she had to see it, so she said she was going to headquarters for a meeting, but she actually was coming here and she was glad she did. This was a very interesting show to see.

"Ah, what a sinful woman I am. I'm simply terrible," Grell said.

"Ophelia, there you are," Agni said as he walked onto the stage with Lizzie by his side, who was cast as a soldier.

"Father, now that I get a better look at thee, I see thou art quite handsome. Never mind that Hamlet, I fancy you, Father! Such a honeyed scent doth forbidden love have," Grell said as he ran to him to kiss him, but Agni used his godly right hand and hit Grell straight in the stomach.

"I can't even begin to fathom such depravity! Who could be forgiven such acts between father and daughter," Agni yelled. Grell fell to his knees, unable to say anything else after such a powerful blow.

"And with one thing led to another, Ophelia died," Finni said.

"No, it's not Ophelia's death scene yet," Grell tried to say, but soon fell to the ground, pretending to be dead.

"And she didn't receive a proper burial."

"Let's toss her in the river," Lizzie said as she kicked Grell into the pool that was their makeshift river and he floated off the stage.

In the meantime, Ran-Mao rose onto the stage in her seaweed as she began to sing, "Seaweed, oh how I love it." Everyone in the audience applauded, even the kids, which confused everyone backstage, but they didn't mind it too much.

"Goodness, she seems to be quite a hit with everyone, especially the kids," Katia said in surprise.

"I don't get kids," Baldroy said.

"Now that the ice is broken, the young master's big scene is here at last," Sebastian said as they watched Ciel walk on the stage.

The spotlight shined on him as he said, "To be, or not to be: that is the question. My uncle is a cunning man. Even if I'm able to carry out my revenge, I shan't escape alive and the truth is . . . I don't want to die. Ugh, quit being a coward, Hamlet! Drive out that foolish, stunned soul of thine this instant! My vow is a bloody one; there's no turning back now! Now, let me be off, before the blazing sun in my blood rises." The audience was amazed by the performance, even the kids, and everyone backstage was enthralled by his performance. As the curtains closed, intermission started and everyone in the audience went into the lobby to grabs some sweets and drinks provided by the Funtom Company. At this time, Sebastian went up the stairs that led to the box where Lilliana was at.

Katia would have unknowingly followed him, but she heard Grell's voice say, "Katia, I need your help! We have to get my hair and makeup ready for the next Act! It looks disastrous right now! Oh, I can't let Bassy see me like this!"

"Coming, Grell," she said reluctantly as she helped him get ready for the next Act.

Lilliana sat at her seat as she looked at a file that she relieved before coming here. Apparently, it was supposed to be Grell's assignment, but since he didn't show up to work for three straight days, she was given the assignment along with her other ones. "Guillermo Suntan, born on January 12, 1842 and is going to die in about one hour of a heart attack. Hm, nothing too hard, but if Grell would have shown up to work today, I would have to deal with his-," she said before her eyes were covered by black gloves.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Sebastian's voice seductively whispered in her ear.

"I wouldn't miss it," she said as she removed his hands from her vision. "Especially since I wasn't able to audition."

"I was certain that you're brother would have banned you from coming here, especially after everything that happened at the curry exhibition."

"Oh, he has, but as far as he knows, I'm at a long and boring meeting," she said with a wink. "If he knew I was here, he might try to kill you again."

He chuckled as he said, "He can try all he wants, but he hasn't even gotten close to hurting me, but you, however," he said as he put a hand on the area that he accidentally sliced and felt a bandage around it. She took a sharp breath as she felt the slight pain in her abdomen. "Are you all right?"

"It stings a little, but I'm fine. I'm just glad it wasn't a deep cut or else I would be recovering for a long time," she said. He soon moved his hand up so he could cup one of her breast. "Sebastian! We can't do that here!"

"I'm sorry, but I've missed you a lot since you've been gone. I missed you by my side on the bed," he said as he placed her arms above her, trapping her to a wall.

"Is that all," she asked teasingly.

"I missed doing this," he said before giving her a kiss. He made sure that this kiss was full of passion, possibly more than the other kisses that they shared. Although she was surprised, she returned the passion and their kiss seemed to last forever. Though, on the other side of the entrance, curious bright green eyes saw their moment of passion and she had to leave as tears started to creep into her eyes.

Katia ran all the way outside on the balcony and closed the door behind her so no one could see as tears ran down her cheek. She backed herself against the wall and slid down so she could cry on her knees. She knew that Lilliana wasn't hers. Heck, she bet she didn't even _know_ about her feelings, but seeing her kissing someone else messed with her heart and broke it. She never experienced this kind of pain before and wished she never had.

"Grim Reapers aren't supposed to feel love, but for some reason, you have," a low voice said. She quickly got up and pulled out her katana, thinking it was Sebastian, but was surprised to see another demon. "I didn't even think that a being like you could feel anything. You kill demons for a career to the point that you became top of your sector. Isn't that right, Katia Vendoa, the demon hunter?"

"Shut up! The Reaper Association hired me to kill you! Ever since Grell Sutcliff said you were hanging around London, they worried that you were feasting off the souls of the innocents. Naturally, they contacted my superiors in America and now, here I am. If I were you, I would beg for your life since you know how good I am with a katana," she said as she tried to sound threatening, but couldn't due to the tears still running down her face.

"I haven't devoured a single soul since I got here. I just want to take my little sister away from the people that hurt her. I'm not trying to harm anyone."

"And I'm supposed to believe that? The main reason why they hired me _was_ to protect her from being further corrupted. They put years of rehabilitation on her, but she's lucky she has her free will."

"And look how good of a job you've done," he said, making her more upset. "At first, I thought you were getting close to Lily just to get closer to me, but apparently, I was wrong."

She started crying as she recited what she read on her file, "Lily Kilia, born on June 21, 1492 and died on January 6, 1509 from suicide by a knife to the heart. Traumatic events involving a priest triggered such an impulse decision, but she was reincarnated into a Grim Reaper heavily influenced by her brother, Bastille Kilia, and even Lucifer himself, but the Head Grim Reapers at the time retrieved her and rehabilitated her. She was a pure soul that had potential to become an angel, but denounced her faith in angels and his Holiness and lost that opportunity. Based on what I've read, you have failed to protect her."

"That's why I'm here; I want to protect her since I failed to do so in the past."

"Still, why should I let you live? She's doing fine on her own," she said with a very depressed tone. "The sooner I kill you, the sooner I can go home, away from this place!"

"Actually, I think I might have a solution to fix our problems."

"I'm not interested in making deals with my targets."

"Just hear me out; if you let me live and kill Sebastian Michaelis, I'll let you have my sister."

"What?"

"If you kill Sebastian, she will need comfort and she would probably run to me and possibly you. You can be her rock and her heart can be molded to love the people that support her through depressing events. Besides, you're a less of a threat to her safety than he is. Do we have a deal," Bastille said as he extended a hand.

She was reluctant, but she lowered her katana and shook his hand. "I guess it would look bad to kill her brother when I could still have a chance of winning her heart."

"I'm glad to see things have worked out."

* * *

The curtains parted and the show continued. After a few scenes, it was finally the final scene and the whole cast, that is, those who were alive, walked onto the stage. "Hamlet and Ophelia's brother Laertes must cross blades in a fencing match arranged by the king, but the tip of Laertes' sword is coated with poison that could kill a man after just the faintest scratch of his blade," Finny said. The children in the audience actually looked terrified since now they were invested in the story and didn't want Hamlet to die.

Sebastian and Ciel drew their swords as Ciel said, "Thou art Ophelia's esteemed brother, then? I have heard thy skill is great."

"I have heard the same of thee. I hope thou shalt go easy on me," Sebastian said.

Lau clapped as he said, "Now, I think that's enough chat. We'll have a ten point match. Let the match be-,"

"Hamlet, no! Don't do it! That old guy's sword is poisoned," one of the kids yelled from the crowd, surprising everyone on stage.

"Old guy," Sebastian repeated to himself.

"Yeah, they lied when they said this was a fencing match! They're trying to kill you, Hamlet! You should stop trying to get revenge," the kids said from the audience.

"Don't . . . die," Ciel repeated to himself, totally forgetting his line, but Sebastian was great at improvising.

"How dare thee let thy eyes wander," Sebastian said as he skillfully aimed his sword to his young master, hoping he would react in time, which luckily, he did. "This farce is over. I'll tell thee the truth. My beloved sister's sweet life was cut short because of her involvement with thee!"

Ciel had to block many attacks from Sebastian as he said, "Wait! This isn't in the script!"

"I shall win my revenge by slaying thee for my beloved Ophelia!"

"Stop your fighting," a voice sang from above them, yet again, confusing everyone who heard it, even managing to stop the fight. "Don't fight over me!" Soon, they saw Grell, still dressed as Ophelia, slowly lowered down on a gondola filled with flowers. Katia tried to be as graceful as she could be handling this effect since she was still upset by what happened earlier.

"Ophelia?! I thought you were dead," Ciel improvised.

"I was lost, but when my dear brother's love rained down upon me, the flowers of life bloomed anew with _deadly_ haste. Oh, dear brother, you must know that you are truly the one for-," he tried to say, but a very long pruner cut one of the ropes holding the gondola and Grell came crashing down. "Ouch!"

"So, this is where you've been dallying all this time, Grell Sutcliff," Will said with anger in his eyes.

"Shit, that's my cue to leave," Lilliana said as she quickly left the box and headed back to her assignment.

"Will," Grell said with love in his voice.

"This is an outrage! Not only have you deserted your post, but you're actually putting on a charity play with that loathsome demon," William said as he walked toward the stage. "I hoped Lilliana would find you, but apparently she hasn't been able to. Though, I'm surprised she didn't look here first."

"Ah, now there are three men are fighting over me. Oh, what must a girl do," Grell said with glee.

"Stop, no fighting," Prince Soma said as he tried to get on stage, but Baldroy was trying to stop him, which didn't last too long. "Just leave everything to me, Ramakrishna, avatar of the sun."

Despite the now cluttered mess of actors and surprise guests on stage, the kids seemed to love the exciting scene laid out before them. "This is a disaster! What a foolish-," Ciel said before he was interrupted.

"Yes, it is foolish. Revenge is foolish. All it offers is confusion, pain, and a brief fever of excitement. When the curtains fall on such a sad dream, nothing is left. Isn't that right, my lord Hamlet," Sebastian said with a smirk.

"Sebastian, I mean . . . I never thought I'd hear you say-,"

"Quite so! In the end, revenge has no meaning! I speak the truth for I am Ramakrishna, avatar of the sun," Soma said.

Sebastian came close to his master so he could whisper, "If you can't even act at this moment, what sort of a demon's master would you be?"

"That's right. From now on, I will forget revenge and live on," Ciel said and the kids cheered with delight. Soon, the curtain closed and curtain call began: first with the minor characters, then the surprise guests, then Grell and Katia, then the stagehands, Sebastian, and finally, Ciel. They all took their final bow and the curtains closed for the last time.


	16. Souls Trapped in an Isolated Castle

Ciel was taking a bath in his manor when Sebastian came in with a petition in his hand. They planned to turn an abandoned castle called Ludlow Castle into a hotel, but apparently, the builders on the project wanted to stop it unexpectedly. "They want to halt construction and dissolve the contract," Sebastian said as he handed him the piece of paper.

"Maybe we should pay them a visit. They were fully on board with the project and now they want to stop it? Something doesn't add up," Ciel said as he got up from the bathtub and was quickly covered by a towel.

"Shall I prepare a carriage for you?"

"Yes."

"I do have one favor to ask."

"And what is that?"

"I think you should invite Ms. Vendoa with us on our trip."

Ciel looked at him suspiciously as he said, "Please tell me that you are not fucking her too."

"No, young master, but I have noticed her behavior since the debut of Hamlet. She seems to be . . . depressed, but I haven't asked her why. Perhaps a change of scenery will brighten up her spirits."

"Hmm, I suppose there wouldn't be any harm in doing so, but I hope this isn't some pathetic excuse to get close to her."

"I assure you that I will not use the same tactic of extracting information out of her the same way I did with Lilliana."

"You better not, especially since you failed to extract information out of Lilliana in the first place and look at the mess we've created."

"Understood."

* * *

Sebastian, Ciel and Katia rode in a carriage to the Ludlow Castle, but there was a lot of tension surrounding them. Ciel was a bit nervous to see how Katia's presence would affect their trip, especially since Sebastian suggested her to come with, but he found relief when he addressed Katia as Ms. Vendoa. In other words, she wasn't important to him to the point that he didn't even call her by her first name, unlike Lilliana. Sebastian wasn't lying though; Katia had been depressed for quite a while, but he couldn't pinpoint why. Was the show a disappointment for her? He doubt it since everyone agreed that it was a good show. Was work for her stressful? No, she would have been more noticeably stressed than depressed. Did it have to do with Lilliana? So far, that was his only theory. Katia couldn't even look at the man that stole the woman she loved away. She was depressed, but she was also secretly angry and was awaiting the day that she could effectively kill Sebastian Michaelis. If they were away from the manor, she could kill him and maybe even Ciel if she had to and blame it on an assassin who was following them. After all, the young lord has made some enemies over the years, so it would be believable that any of them could have hired an assassin to kill them. A demon hunter, to be more exact.

"The castle looks . . . antiquated," Katia said as they walked out of the carriage.

"What pathetic contractors! They're canceling construction because they are afraid of ghosts? There's no such thing! Let's wrap this up quickly and go home," Ciel said as they entered the castle.

"Certainly," Sebastian said as he followed his master inside. They walked a little ways before the doors slammed shut on them without anyone to do it. In the dark room, there was suddenly a light flickering in the distance and the trio followed it to see who was messing with them.

Soon, two more candelabra it up on their own free will and a voice said, "Who gave you three permission to enter this castle."

"Sebastian, why is there a traveling minstrel here," Ciel said, unaffected by the eeriness around them.

"You dare insult me," the voice said again before a young man appeared out of thin air in front of them followed by the rest of the candelabra lighting by themselves. "I am Edward V, King of England."

"This doesn't make sense. What's going on here," Ciel said, surprised to see this man before them.

"It would that ghosts _do_ exist. Four hundred years ago, on the verge of his coronation, Edward V was confined in the Tower of London with his younger brother, Richard. Legend has it that the two were eventually murdered by jealous relatives who wanted to seize the throne. This castle is where the brothers spent their youth. I'd venture to guess that their souls have returned here," Sebastian explained.

"Well, that's that," Ciel said.

"What are you two whispering about," Edward asked firmly.

"Your Majesty, may I present the Right Honorable Ciel, Earl Phantomhive," Sebastian said with a bow.

Ciel walked up to the boy king and kneeled down on one knee out of respect. Although he was a ghost, he was still royalty. "Please forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty. I was not aware you were currently in residence," he said.

"Very well, then, I forgive you. After all, I don't get many guests."

"I am not a guest, Sire. Actually, my company now owns this castle."

"You're its new caretaker, then?"

"Not exactly. Allow me to speak plainly: I'd like you to vacate this castle."

"You're telling the king and his brother, who have lived here for four hundred years, to clear out?"

"You will be compensated, naturally. I shall pay every regard to your wishes, Sire. May we discuss how we can come to an agreement?" Soon, little Richard came out of hiding and saw the new guests, but he liked the otherworldly servants he saw.

"Hmm, it appears my brother has taken a liking to your servants."

"This is Sebastian Michaelis, my butler, and Katia Vendoa, my maid," Ciel introduced as the servants bowed out of respect.

"We would have so much fun if we had a butler and a maid around, wouldn't we," Richard said to a skull that he was holding on to.

"Yes, they seem to be very unusual servants, so I imagine it would be interesting," Edward said, but Ciel did not look pleased by their statements.

"What are you suggesting, Your Majesties?"

"I'm saying that I want your servants."

"I'm sorry to say, but my servants are not for sale. They are under contract to work for me."

"Didn't you just say that you would pay me compensation for our eviction?"

"Yes, but I was expecting something else."

"How about we settle this through a game of chess," Edward said as a chess board magically appeared on a table nearby with all the pieces put on their proper squares. "If I win, those servants of yours will be mine. If you win, you may do what you like with the castle."

"All right, but I do hope you won't regret this," Ciel said in a cocky tone.

"Let's have a fair game. Otherwise, it won't be any fun," Edward said as he moved his first pawn.

"I agree," Ciel said as he did the same. After a long game of well-strategized chess, Ciel seem to be winning after he took Edward's queen with his knight. "I'll hold you to your promise."

"Of course," Edward said, but the knight in his hand changed into a queen and he used his piece to knock over Ciel's king. "Hmm, that looks like checkmate."

"Your Majesty, were you lying to me when you said we'd play fair," Ciel asked angrily. If he hated anything more than losing or being called cute, it would be cheating.

"What did you say," Edward said angrily as a dark aura surrounded him. "Don't you dare accuse me of lying!. I hate lies! This is my chess piece; I merely used my powers to its full potential. That's _not_ unfair!"

"Your Majesty, if I may . . . ," Sebastian said, but waited for permission to speak.

"I give the butler leave to speak," he said.

"Unfortunately, I believe my master has forgotten his own creed."

"Excuse me," Ciel asked in shock. He thought Sebastian, out of all people, would be on his side.

"My master is of the opinion that those bound by superficial rules and do not use their pawns to the utmost are fools and he doesn't hold back."

"In that case, there should be no problem, correct? All right, Richard," Edward said as Richard walked up to the two servants and smiled.

"This is an order: devote yourselves entirely to their satisfaction. Do as your new masters ask of you," Ciel ordered.

"Are you certain," Katia asked.

"I have no choice; I'm the one who lost," Ciel said bitterly.

"Yes, my lord," the two said in unison.

"That's settled, then. Servants like you two won't die so easily. They shall serve us for many years to come," Edward said.

"We will do our best," Katia said with a bow.

"Phantomhive, I want to continue playing. I'll receive you as a guest."

"I am honored, Sire."

Soon, the four of them walked off into another room as Edward ordered, "Since you two are our servants, I want you to start by getting rid of that horrid tailcoat and dress. You don't look proper at all."

Katia and Sebastian were put in "more formal" clothing, but the dress she was wearing was a bit big on her since they didn't have dresses in her size in the entire castle, so she had to put on a large ribbon around her just to keep it from falling off. She didn't know how to sew, so she couldn't make it any tighter for herself. However, the bust area would keep slipping off her shoulders, but since she was wearing a corset, it wouldn't expose too much. Still, she had to work despite this wardrobe malfunction. She was in charge of caring primarily for Richard since she was now his nursemaid. He would stay by her side most of the time while she would do various chores that Edward assigned them to do, like ironing, polishing the utensils, and preparing tea. She was curious to why the little ghost was carrying a skull with him at all times like it was a toy, but she never bothered to ask why. He even talked to it like it was another person.

The next day, Katia prepared Richard for supper by ironing his clothes, polishing his shoes, and preparing his pajamas when it was time to go to bed. It was exhausting for her since this was the most work she has done since she started working for Ciel, but she pushed through since she was doing this for . . .

"Katia, are you crying," Richard asked sweetly.

She wiped her face as she said, "No, it's just . . . don't worry about me, okay? I'm just a maid."

"True, but we haven't had a maid for centuries, so I want to treat you with kindness so you don't want to leave."

"Ah, aren't you sweet," she said as she smiled at him. How could someone kill such a sweet boy? She finished ironing his clothes and asked, "Do you wish to change clothes before supper?"

"Yes."

"Then may I hold on to your skull for you?"

"No, don't," Richard said frantically as he pulled the skull away from her, which surprised her.

"You can't change clothes with your hands full."

"This is really, really important to me," he said like it was his favorite teddy bear.

"Who did it belong to, may I ask?"

"I'm not telling. If I give it to you, he would be sad," he said.

"I see," Katia said as she left the room to dust the corridors and clear the cobwebs. Richard followed right behind her, but he complained about how boring it was to watch her clean. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I was ordered to clean. If you wish, you could find your brother or our guest and talk with them."

"That sound like a good idea, right," Richard asked the skull before he left her side and ran to find his brother. Katia saw that there were cobwebs at the corner on the ceiling and had to get a long ladder to reach them. However, as she climbed each step, she had to fight the elongated skirt that tried to trip her. Unfortunately, one step did trip her and she started to fall to the ground, but luckily for her, Sebastian was there to catch her.

"I can't even expect a Grim Reaper to carry out a simple task," he said in an annoyed tone, but as he set her down on the ground, he saw the poor attempt to make the obviously too big dress work for her and sighed. "What is this?"

"Oh, the dress was too big on me and since I don't know how to sew-,"

"You don't know how to sew," Sebastian asked in a surprised tone.

"Well, my job is to collect souls, not sew," she barked back.

"Lilliana knows how to sew and she has the same job as you."

"Of course you would know that about her! She devotes all her fucking time to you to the point that she asked me to apply to this fucking job to watch you," she said rather sharply. Sebastian looked at her with shock on his face. He had never seen her react so rashly to him before. If anything, he thought she was the sweet one compared to Lilliana. "I'm sorry. I'm just exhausted from all the work."

"Apparently, but if you would like, I would help you with your dress. I know how to sew. After all, I fixed Lilliana's maid dress when she started to work for us."

"Fine," she said as she followed him to the servants' quarters. They went into her room and he found an old sewing kit that luckily still had the needle and thread that they needed.

"I'm sorry to say that you have to undress."

"You're not going to leave the room first?"

"Don't worry, I'll look away, but at this point of my existence, I've seen enough naked women to no longer be aroused by them."

"Oh sure, except for Lilliana, right," she asked angrily. He was silent, which made her even angrier. She quickly got out of her dress and threw it at him while she hurriedly put a blanket over her. "I figured as much."

He started to sew the dress so it would fit her. Since she was the same size as Lilliana, it made it easy for him. However, one thing was on his mind since they arrived here. "How can ghosts exist when Reapers retrieve their souls?"

"There can be three ways a soul can be left behind: their souls were either so pure or wicked that they became an angel or demon, but they are never claimed, a deity kills them, therefore they are not on the To-Die list and are not assigned to be retrieved, or their souls were never found by Grim Reapers, therefore they are stuck until the Grim Reapers find them."

"Are you able to retrieve their souls now?"

"Unfortunately, no; their souls have manifested too much in this world and the only way to retrieve them is to ease them. In other words, if we want them out of here, we will have to fulfill their every wish. Once they are at ease, we will see which path they must follow."

After a while, he finally finished sewing her dress and put it on the bed for her to dress. "I will be preparing supper for our masters. I will see you at dinner, then," he asked, but she didn't respond. He left the room and she put the dress on. For a butler, he sure did a good job at sewing a dress so it could fit her. Still, anger was building inside her and she let out a loud yell before she punched a mirror, shattering it to pieces. However, her hand was mostly unharmed except for a little cut on her hand.

* * *

It was time for dinner and the guests seated at the long table while the servants served their masters, but paid little attention to their guest. "This is roast hare with red currant jelly and local leeks," Sebastian said as he placed the first plate in front of Edward.

"It's a bunny," Richard said to the skull with a cheerful tone.

However, as Sebastian put the plate down in front of Ciel, he tried to get his attention by saying, "Have you found anything about them yet?"

"I must ask our guest to please mind his manners. It's common courtesy to make pleasant conversation with the person next to you," Sebastian said.

"Next to me?! How can I make pleasant conversation with someone so far away," Ciel quietly yelled.

"I wonder what our guest is making such a fuss about," Edward said.

"I simply asked if my servants were behaving politely," Ciel said with a louder voice.

"But Sebastian and Katia are _our_ servants," Richard said to the skull.

"Oh, that's right," Ciel said, still upset that he lost the chess game to a cheater.

Soon, Katia began to pour claret into their glasses and Edward raised his glass as he said, "Well then, to our new friend and our new servants!"

"Cheers," Richard said with glee.

"What's the matter, Phantomhive? You're not drinking."

"Nothing at all," Ciel said as he repeatedly tapped the glass. He did not like being waited on, but Sebastian and Katia's new priorities were Edward and Richard and they haven't been giving him little attention.

Soon, supper was over and the two deities cleaned up the mess while Ciel was forced to go to bed and change on his own with no one to help him. He had to admit, he was not used to this big change and it was irritating the hell out of him. While they were finishing up the clean-up, Edward came to them and said, "Sebastian, I want you to make sure that our guest is cared for before he goes to bed."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Sebastian said as he left their side to finally care for his young master. Edward left her side as she was left to do any chores that she hadn't completed, but after Sebastian fixed her dress, she managed to do all the chores quickly and efficiently, despite the size of the castle, so she had enough free time to look around. However, she did see Edward walking around, followed by Ciel, who made sure he was some distance away from him. She was about to follow them, but she felt a hand pull her away. "Stay back. We don't want that ghost to feel our presence," Sebastian said, but she looked at him with angry eyes. They kept their distance from Ciel until they saw him run into the library. "I think he will need this," Sebastian said as he pulled out a silver key from him pocket.

"When did you get that," Katia asked.

"You're not the only one who gets chores done quickly," he said as they both entered the library and saw that Ciel was looking at a fake bookcase that held a secret passage. "Pardon me," Sebastian said as he walked to his young master.

"What do you want," Ciel asked in an annoyed tone, but he didn't answer. He pressed on the spine of a book, but it revealed a hidden keyhole and he pulled out the key from his pocket. "I say, Sebastian!"

"What? You wish to go inside, correct," Katia said.

"I haven't given you an order. Why are you acting on your own? I've told you over and over, I'm the one who chooses-," Ciel asked in a confused tone.

"It's good service. The trick to satisfying a guest is to always think ahead. If I couldn't do at least that, then what kind of royal butler would I be," Sebastian said.

"Don't make me kill you," Ciel said angrily under his breath.

"Then you don't want me to open the secret door?"

"Open it."

"Certainly," Sebastian said as he placed the key in the keyhole and the bookcase started moving out of their way, revealing the secret passage, but what they saw was rather disturbing. There were skeletons everywhere and even statues of skeletons to add a new level of creepiness.

"What is this?!"

"It would appear to be a crypt," Katia said. They walked further inside, but Ciel accidentally stepped on a femur, breaking it in half and making a cracking noise.

"Please be careful. No human has set foot in here for a long time," Edward said as he appeared before them.

"Your Majesty, where are we? What is this place," Ciel asked.

"It was originally a dungeon. Criminals the Church refused to bury were thrown in here and eventually forgotten. Their souls have been forgotten even by the Grim Reaper. The path to heaven is closed to them and these souls can't be saved." Soon, the lights flickered on and they all saw what appeared to be a life-sized chess board with skulls on them. "Once, on the spur of the moment, I made something to remember them by. I'll introduce them to you. This is my father, the king, and my mother, the queen. Perhaps my choices were conventional and boring? That rook is Earl Rivers and my uncle is a bishop. It's a reunion of my family's bones."

However, as they examined the chess set of skulls, they noticed something was amiss. "One of the knights is missing," Ciel said.

"That spot is for Richard."

"Can't you find him, Sire?"

"That's not it; his bones are here. I retrieved the bones that came from the Tower two hundred years ago, but Richard took hold of the skull and won't let it go. You see, Phantomhive, all I want is to send my brother on and be with God, where there is no pain or suffering."

"To Heaven," Katia asked.

"Yes and that wish will come true if I complete this set."

"In other words, if you get that skull, you'll be satisfied? You wish to have it, no matter what you have to sacrifice," Ciel asked.

"That's right. If I do that, I know that-,"

"Sebastian, Katia, this is an order: go get that skull and take that chessboard to the hall," Ciel ordered.

"Yes, my lord," they said in unison.

"I don't understand. What do you intend to do," Edward asked in a confused tone.

"I shall grant your wish, Sire, using the easiest possible method.

* * *

"No, stop it! Put me down, Katia," Richard yelled as he was carried in her arms to the hall, where Edward and Ciel awaited for their arrival.

"Please excuse me, Prince Richard," she said as she held him up like a hunted animal.

"How boring; I was hoping to see a fight between a demon and a ghost. What a pity," Ciel said.

"Let me go! Brother!"

"I'm sorry, Richard! Can't she be a little gentler," Edward asked Ciel.

"What I can't understand is that you let this little problem go on for two hundred years. Don't you think that it's silly?"

"But I don't want to make my brother cry," he said before he noticed Katia grabbing the skull out of Richard's hands, despite his protest.

"Look, you got what you wanted."

"No, you can't do that! My brother will-," Richard yelled as he frantically tried to get the skull back.

"As King, I order you to release Richard," Edward said, but she only smiled at him. Suddenly, the dark aura surrounded him and he charged at her with ghostly speed, but she moved out of the way in time for him to fall on his face.

"I'm sorry, Sire, but I must say, for a king, you seem extraordinarily powerless," she said as she gave the skull to Ciel, but the way she was holding Richard caused him to remember the night that they were killed.

"Stop it! I told you to stop it, Phantomhive."

"You said your wish was to have this skull, no matter what the sacrifice. If you take that back now, you're no better than the liars you claim to hate."

"Sebastian, heed my orders! You belong to us now! Stop that Grim Reaper!" Ciel was shocked to hear the last statement out of his mouth, but knew a ghost, especially one that hated lies, would not lie about this.

"Well, I guess the jig is up," Katia said with a chuckle as she pulled out her Death Scythe, scarring the both of them even more.

"Unfortunately, Sire, you were never my master. I am bound to the Earl Phantomhive by contract. I served the two of you because I was ordered to. All this time, I have faithfully carried out the orders of my true master."

"You . . . have betrayed us too?"

"I am not two-faced. I have always belonged entirely to my master."

"Now then, if we're to send you both to this "Heaven" place, I suppose I have to be the chief mourner," Ciel said as he walked to the empty space.

"No! My brother will-." Richard tried to say, but the tears forming in his eyes were preventing him.

"It's all right, Richard. I promise I'll always be with you. Now this will all be over," Edward said comfortingly. Ciel then placed the skull on the empty spot, completing the set, but after waiting a while, nothing happened. "What's wrong? Why is nothing happening," he said as he approached the chessboard to examine the issue.

"You didn't want to tell His Majesty about this, did you, Prince Richard," Sebastian said to the little prince as she set him on the ground.

"I couldn't; I knew he would be sad," Richard said as he walked to his older brother, who was almost in tears about the failure. "Brother, I'm sorry for lying to you," he said as he gave him a hug.

"You lied to me, Richard?"

"That skull isn't yours or mine. It belonged to some other poor soul who didn't even belong to the family."

"But . . . that can't be . . . ,"

"You've forgotten that our bones don't exist anymore. They haven't since that day . . . ,"

"You're right . . ,"

"That nice guard said 'good night' to us just like always. He said, 'You don't have to worry about a thing because I'll protect you'."

"But he was the one who let the assassin in and that's why I hated liars. First he killed me, then my younger brother. I saw it from the body that could no longer move. I'm sorry, Richard. You must have been so frightened."

"But brother, the truth is, the scariest part was when in thought I'd never see you again. I was so worried. Our bodies were chopped to pieces and thrown into the Thames."

"The fish picked away at us. We sank into the mud and then there were no flesh or bones anymore. I'm so sorry, Richard. How could I ever have forgotten that night I failed to protect you?"

"No, please don't cry!"

"Phantomhive, you were right all along. The hatred and pain have been inside me all this time!"

"Time eases the pain, but personally, I don't want time to heal me. You may think you've escaped the pain and forgotten it, but all you have it stagnation. You can't move forward," Ciel said.

"So, I've hated liars all this time, but in reality, I was the one lying to myself and Richard," Edward asked, but soon, he started to glow a white light.

"Brother, you're glowing," Richard said, but Edward was shocked to see this new light.

"The funeral goods are mere tools. It wasn't bones or ceremonies that had the power to release your wandering souls," Sebastian said. Soon, the light grew brighter, making their image look see-through, but their souls were finally free.

"Huh, I guess their souls were pure enough to become angels," she said, but Ciel got in her face.

"I can't believe that we have yet another Grim Reaper working for me! Sebastian, how could you let this happen?! I asked you if she was a Grim Reaper-," Ciel said angrily, but was interrupted.

"You never asked directly. You only said it was suspicious that she came when Lilliana left," Sebastian explained.

"Regardless, you let another Grim Reaper work for us! Katia, you are fired!"

"Fine, I hated working at this fucking job," she said as she left their side in an angry tone.

"Sebastian, it might be time that you start destroying some Grim Reapers. Do you dare defy me?"

* * *

Katia collected the souls that were still in the dungeon, but it was taking forever since there was so many. She was still in her dress that was now scratching the hell out of her and couldn't wait to put on her Reaper outfit, but she couldn't focus. "Dammit, Sebastian; why did you have to steal her away," she said as she punched a wall with all her might and despite the material, she managed to make a hole in the wall, but her hand was not harmed at all.

"Steal her? For a Grim Reaper with a lot of strength, you never had a strong grip on her," Sebastian said as he entered the dungeon. She looked at him with fury in her eyes, but he did not seem frightened. "You didn't think that I didn't see you storm off after I kissed her, did you?"

"So what was the point of brining me on this trip?"

"I wanted to test a theory and I was right: you are in love with Lilliana Kiliamo."

Katia was silent, but the tears starting forming in her eyes confirmed what he said. "She was the only good thing about coming to this dreary country, but you've stolen her from me," she said as she pulled out her katana.

"Please try to act more lady-like; Ms. Vendoa, but I really shouldn't be saying that to a demon hunter, now, should I?"

"You knew the whole time and you still let me have the job?"

"You are a demon hunter that goes after _Rogue_ demons, but I am under contract, so I cannot be the demon you were hired to kill. Besides, if I played my cards right, you could be killing the very demon that is standing between us and Lilliana."

"True, her brother is the demon I'm suppose to kill, but he's offered me a deal: if I kill you, I can have her," she said as she aimed her katana toward Sebastian, but he dodged the attack before it could even land a hit on him.

"I'm sorry, but I believe you are working for the wrong demon. If you get rid of me, it makes it easier for him to take Lilliana away from here."

"It would be better than a demon that uses a woman because of a past she doesn't even remember," she said as she tried to strike him, but he dodged her yet again. This time, though, he took the offense as he threw knives and forks her way, but she blocked most of them with her katana and dodged the rest.

"Stop it," a voice said from the entrance of the dungeon. Soon, they saw Bastille walk up to them with anger in his eyes. "All right, Michaelis, what have you done to my sister?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about?"

"Don't lie to me! She was on her way to work, but she hasn't returned all night! Where did you take her," he furiously asked as he got pulled out his demon sword, preparing for an attack.

"Bastille, I have been with him all day; he hasn't left this castle at all. There's no way he could have taken her," Katia said, now a little worried for her.

"If you haven't taken her, then where the hell is she?"

"My master is fast asleep, so I have until morning to find her," Sebastian said.

"Well, _we_ have all the time we want to find her," Katia said, but suddenly, the marks on the demons' hands began to glow. "What the hell?"

"Wait, if this is glowing that means . . . ," Bastille said.

"She is participating in demonic activity," Sebastian finished.

* * *

The three deities looked all over London to try to find Lilliana. The only thing that gave them a clue was the glowing marks, giving them an idea to where she was, but they faded away as soon as they reached London. "I hope she's all right," Katia said.

"I hope so too," Bastille said, but soon, he got a whiff of something strong in the air. It was . . . blood. "Down there," he said as he pointed to the motel close to a nearby church. "This already doesn't look good." As the three of them descended, they knocked on the door to the room that had the strongest scent of blood.

"Go away," a young woman yelled in a shaky voice through the door, but it wasn't Lilliana's voice. Sebastian then bashed the door in so the three of them could enter, but they were not expecting to see what they witnessed.

"Oh my god," Katia said as she covered her mouth in shock. It was a bloody pile of flesh with ripped clothes surrounding it.

"The carnage of the body reminds me of the Jack the Ripper cases," Sebastian said. Bastille hadn't seen a body so mutilated since . . .

He examined the bloody pile closely and saw that next to it was a blood-stained rosary. It was all too familiar to him.

"Don't hurt me," the young woman said as she covered herself in the blankets. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, but we're now puffy and red due to the traumatic experience, which made Bastille have a flashback of a time he wished he could forget, but was glad that Lilliana couldn't remember.

"We're not going to hurt you," he said sweetly. "But we have to know what happened. Could you help us?"

The frightened young woman was silent, but through the tears, she said, "He was going to . . . have his way with me . . . but this woman . . . she . . . she . . . did that!"

"Was he a priest or a man of religion?"

"Y-Yes, he was my pastor. I was having troubles and he said he would help, but . . . ," she said in between tears.

"Do you think Lilliana did this," Katia said.

"I'm sure she would be tempted, but she wouldn't go as far as this," Sebastian said.

"No, she would," Bastille said. The other two deities looked at him with surprise. "But this time, she had a chance to fight back."

* * *

"I wonder what is taking that American girl so long. Tracking down that demon shouldn't take this long, especially of a person with her skill," a Head Reaper said in a meeting room at Headquarters.

"Maybe she isn't as skilled as we thought. Gilbert Scotia wouldn't take this long killing a demon," another said.

"Well, he's dead, so what can we do? She's our only hope in getting that Rogue demon that Sutcliff mentioned. He'll do anything to get Ms. Kiliamo back and probably corrupt her too."

"I will address the urgency of the issue the next time I see her," William T. Spears said as he straightened his glasses. Suddenly, the doors slammed open in front of them and they were all in horror to see who it was. Her clothes were soaked in blood with some little pieces of human flesh stuck on the fibers of her clothes. Her hair was in an absolute mess, but blood soaked her hair as well, or at least, the part that was close to her face. Her lips were dark red, as if she was wearing lipstick, but they all knew that she would never wear lipstick unless she was forced to. Her spectacles were coated with blood, but behind them was the darkest shade of red they have ever seen in her eyes for a long time. Despite the image, she started to laugh maniacally, like a demon that just fulfilled his contract.

"I told you I would turn myself in, didn't I, Will," Lilliana asked with a wicked smirk.


	17. Painful Offerings to be Transmitted

"Lilliana is in rehabilitation," Katia asked Undertaker. Since the incident with the mutilated flesh, she thought it would be best to chat with someone who knew Lilliana personally and see if she would really commit the act that even Bastille said she did. For some reason, she couldn't believe that a Grim Reaper could do such a vile act even though she saw the evidence in front of her own eyes. The only person who could give her an insight of who she really is was the person that in fact helped her in the past.

"That's what dear Willy told me. He said that she just walked into headquarters soaked in blood and with the reddest eyes they have seen in a long time. She even admitted to devouring the soul of a corrupt priest," he said as he proceeded to look at the customers that came in.

"I . . . I just can't believe it. I didn't even think it was possible, but aren't you going to help her?"

"Help her?"

"After the first attempt failed miserably, they wanted a better way to control her and since you are kind of a legend to Grim Reapers, they thought maybe you could help her and somehow, you did."

"When I first met her, she was a feral creature; she was far past controllable. I witnessed how they treated her and it wasn't a pretty sight to see. One could argue that they tortured the poor girl until she fully gave up her free will and at first, their plan seemed to work, but she somehow found herself near blood and her demonic instincts took over her. When they brought her back, they had to figure out how to control her again and that's when they invited me to take a shot."

"What did you do?"

"I treated her with kindness. I actually talked to her like she was a normal Grim Reaper and actually got to know her. They didn't have to torture her or make her believe that demons were the epitome of evil, especially since she witnessed the corruption in humanity, especially in clergy. We even managed to look at her Cinematic Record and-,"

"You saw her Cinematic Record? How?"

"We have ways to see the human life of a Grim Reaper. However, we don't like to use it since we want to keep ourselves unbiased to humanity, but we had to see her past life. Once we knew her on a personal level, she worked well with us and she eventually was able to work in the field, blood and all, and until now, hasn't acted upon her demonic instincts. This recent incident, however, eerily parallels to what happened to her in her past life," he said in a surprisingly sad tone.

"Are you saying that she was . . . ?"

"Exactly the same position, except there was no one to save her."

"Oh my god! How could something so horrible happen to someone like her," she said as she covered her mouth with tears forming in her eyes."

"There's still more to the story. Don't think just an incident like that caused her to commit suicide," Undertaker said as he looked inside another coffin. Katia couldn't believe what she heard and started to cry. "Now then, who do we have next? Hm, this corpse is a bit unsatisfying . . . no, _very_ unsatisfying. Not a single wound on the lovely lass. How pathetic." Suddenly, threatening hands grabbed Undertaker's neck and started to strangle him.

"Excuse me, but what did you say," Grell's voice yelled as he continued to strangle him.

"Grell, you shouldn't do that," Katia said as she wiped the tears off her face.

"Oh, Katia, I didn't realize that you were here," Grell said as he suddenly stopped strangling the poor man.

"My word; I never thought I would never meet such a rude, but colorful character," Undertaker said as he straightened his clothes and hat.

"I'm the rude one?! You said those awful things to me!"

"It was an honest mistake. I didn't think that a person could live this long without breathing."

"How dare you?! You can't say such hurtful words to a Grim Reaper," Grell said angrily.

"What do I have to fear," he said with a giggle, but Grell suddenly grabbed him and placed him in an empty jar and started to pour rock salt into it.

"This is what you get!"

"Well, this is an interesting day," Undertaker said as the salt soon filled up, forcing him to stay put since he couldn't move. "Well, I do have an appointment to talk to my dear lord, Ciel Phantomhive."

"Wait, Bassy is coming here? Oh, I should surprise him," Grell said with excitement.

"You go do that, but I don't want to be anywhere near that fucking brat and his womanizing butler," Katia said angrily.

"My, what caused this sudden change of behavior? I thought you said you were happy to serve them, especially for Lilliana."

"Things have changed and now, I can't stand them at all! I don't know how she dealt with them for this long."

"Well, since Sebastian is free, I can try to win him over before that slut gets out of rehabilitation."

"She is not a slut!"

"But she has taken my Bassy and is toying with your emotions."

"She was never mine to begin with. Heck, I don't even know if she knows if I love her and although I hate to admit it, Sebastian was in her life before me."

"Well, she doesn't care about him at all. She just sees him as a trophy lover, but I will treat him with all the respect and love he deserves. Help put this on me before they come," Grell said as he tried to put on Undertaker's outfit. She sighed, but decided to help out her only friend, even if he was being naïve about falling for Sebastian.

As time passed, they heard footsteps approaching the shop and she hid inside a coffin while Grell turned his back from the door so they wouldn't be able to notice him. The door opened and Ciel's voice yelled, "I'm coming in."

"Welcome," Grell said in a surprisingly well imitation of Undertaker.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Undertaker."

"In that case," Grell said before turning around, revealing his face. The two of them looked horrified at the sight. "Give me the best love that my dear Bassy has to offer!" He started running to Sebastian, but he moved out of the way in time for Grell to hit a wall with his face, causing a mini earthquake within the store and accidently removing the part of the lid so that Katia was slightly exposed. She tried moving it back, but Sebastian noticed it and removed the lid before she could put it in place.

"I was afraid it was you. Why do Grim Reapers like to hide in coffins," Sebastian said as he offered a hand to help her up, but she got out of the coffin without his help.

"Grell, Katia, what the hell are you two doing here," Ciel asked with utter confusion in his voice.

"Hello, my lord," Undertaker said from the salt jar. The duo noticed the unusual scene and they were confused as to how he got there.

"The bounder told me he wasn't afraid of Grim Reapers, so I buried him in salt," Grell said.

"Oh, I just love the sensation of all the moisture in my body leeching out of my skin," Undertaker said with an unusual smile.

"You still haven't answered my question: what are you two doing here," Ciel asked more firmly.

"Will is having me do a bit of investigating, but there was just no information to gather and I got hungry and sleepy, so I took a nap in a _beautiful_ flower bed and woke up in this wretched place. Perhaps I shouldn't have stopped breathing while I slept, but I was waiting for a certain prince to come along and revive me with a kiss . . . with tongue, perhaps," Grell said as he looked lovingly toward Sebastian.

"What are you investigating," Sebastian said, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, nothing too serious, really. We've had some Cinematic Records stolen lately."

"Cinematic Records," Ciel asked for clarification.

"It's nothing that a brat like you should be concerned about," Katia said coldly.

"They're reels of film containing all the memories of a person's life. Grim Reapers extract them from those on the To-Die list, replay them, and decide whether they deserve to live or die," Sebastian explained.

"Just so we're clear, you humans can only see them when you die," Grell said.

"How exactly can Cinematic Records be 'stolen'? I didn't think it was possible."

"They're stored in the library when we're not using them. The full pasts of all people now living, in other words, of everyone on the To-Die list are turned in the form of books," Katia said.

"So, they're books made in preparation for Doomsday," Ciel said.

"It rings a bell, doesn't it," Sebastian asked.

"Undertaker, there's something I want your help with."

"You know the price, my lord . . . ," he said before turning to Grell's glare. "On second thought, I'll do this one free of charge," Undertaker said.

Soon, they let Undertaker out of the salt jar and he put some coffins in a wagon. Ciel, Sebastian, and Grell, got inside the largest coffin, which was a bit cramped, but Grell didn't care since this was the closest he was to his Bassy. Katia decided to stay out of this mission and ride with Undertaker in the front, which he didn't mind since he liked the company, especially from a fellow Reaper who wasn't as rough as Grell was. They rode the long trip to the Catholic abbey that Ciel and Sebastian were investigating and they finally reached the entrance where a man in priest robes greeted them. "Oh, if Lily was here, she would be having such a terrible time," Undertaker said to Katia with a chuckle as he dismounted from the wagon to approach the man. "I've come to deliver the coffin you ordered."

"Coffin, Sir? I'm afraid no one informed me of this," he said.

"I have the order right here . . . Hm, where did I put it. Could it be here," he said as he started pulling various items out of his pockets and onto the floor. The trio exited out of the coffin while the man was distracted and tried to hide among the bushes by the entrance, but it didn't work too well.

"All right, please come in and your friends over there are welcomed as well," the man said.

"Well then, I believe we'll be off. I've finished what I came here to do," Undertaker said.

"I see, thank you for all your hard work. May your soul be truly cleansed," the man said, but the two Grim Reapers started laughing as they rode off back to London to talk more about their dear friend in rehabilitation.

* * *

Lilliana was in her little white room, waiting for orders from Will. Well, it wasn't really a pure white room since the floor was red from the blood that dripped from her hair and clothing. They directed her straight to the room without letting her clean herself up, so she has painted the white floor of her little room with the blood of that priest. To think a man with a holy title would go so far as to rape a teenage girl and say that it was HER fault for seducing him. There was nothing she hated more than that! This is what fueled her hatred for hundreds of years. Still, despite she lost control, she didn't regret it. That bastard deserved the fate he got and tasting that sweet taste of a soul was delicious. She removed her blood-splattered spectacles and put them on a nearby table and looked at herself in the mirror. She laughed at the sight. "I look like shit," she said to herself.

Soon, the door opened and in came Will with a file in his hand. "All right, Lilliana, we have some task for you to do."

"All right, but can I clean up first? I mean, I don't want scare anyone by walking around with blood all over me."

"That was the first task they wanted you to complete. After that, you can meet me in the lobby for your next assignment," he said before he left the room.

After a nice shower and a clean change of clothes, she was finally ready to start working on her tasks, which varied from filing some paperwork to dusting off the Cinematic Records in the library. She didn't act feral like she did in the past, so they didn't go through the full rehabilitation. Instead, she went through a similar rehabilitation like Grell went through after the Jack the Ripper case. Still, after a full day of chores, she was exhausted. She could even barely keep her eyes open after she finished her supposed final chore of the day, which was to clean up the blood in her room. "You know, you could have let me take a shower first before I entered the room so this wouldn't have to be a chore," she complained to Will, but he didn't care. "How long do I have to do this?"

"You will stay here until we believe that you have learned your lesson or make a breakthrough," he said.

"Really? Huh, I guess Grell did take some time before he got out," she said as she finished her chore. "Am I done now?"

"Almost, come with me to the lobby of the library," he said as he started walking away and she followed, but not before releasing an annoyed sigh. Soon, they reached the library and she was being told where to dust the endless rows of Cinematic Records, but they suddenly heard the door open and Will extended his pruner to hit the person, or rather, people entering unannounced. She looked in the direction of the pruner and was surprised to see who was there. "Ah, it _is_ you. I knew I smelled something unpleasant. To think a demon would have the nerve to set foot in our territory."

"Will, wait! I'm looking for the Doomsday Books on your orders," Grell defended.

"A Grim Reaper willingly invited such a vermin here? Grell Sutcliff, you appear to want a further demotion."

"Wh-What will it be this time," Grell said as he pulled out the scissor Death Scythes that were even smaller than the ones before.

Sebastian finally noticed Lilliana, who looked absolutely shocked to see him there, but he only smiled. "We saw the little mess you created. It was quite a sight to see."

"H-How did you get here? I mean, I'm happy to see you, but what the hell are you doing here," she asked.

"Well, it seems that you Reapers have a vermin in your library and it isn't me," Sebastian said.

"An angel?"

"Yes."

"It seems I'll be late getting home tonight," William said as he quickly directed everyone to the Hall of Records. "Angels have the ability to tamper with Cinematic Records."

"They can change the past," Sebastian asked.

"Not exactly; I doubt even His Holiness could do that."

"They merely give you a false peace," Lilliana said. "Those who have had negative enough experiences to break their souls wish for that past to be wiped out. However, it haunts them forever. That's why I hate them."

Soon, they reached the Hall of Records and they saw that Angela was tampering with Ciel's Cinematic Record. "His past is being rewritten. He's being purified, made clean and white as snow. No one wants to harbor hate. That holds true for him as well," she said.

"Young master," Sebastian said as he tried to help Ciel, but Lilliana stopped him.

"Don't be rash about this. If you forcibly stop her now, his past won't be properly contained in him and he will become less than human," she said, as much she hated to stop him from destroying such a hypocritical creature.

"Yes, he will become white as snow," Angela said.

"Purify my master," Sebastian asked underneath his breath. True, angels had strong power over humans, but he believed that his master's hatred would be even stronger. Eventually, Ciel began to levitate in the air, but something very unusual was happening to him.

"What?! He's rewinding the Cinematic Record all by himself," Grell said in shock. No one ever thought a human could ever do something like that and even Angela was surprised. Soon, the Cinematic Record was concealed inside of him and he started to fall, but luckily, Sebastian was there to catch him.

"What a breakneck thing to do," Sebastian said. Lilliana got closer to him to make sure he was all right since he went through such overwhelming experience. "You always exceed my expectations, my young master. You are truly worthy of being my soul and young master," he said to the child in his arms.

"I see the true horror of such an unclean heart, one depraved, stagnant, and trapped in darkness! I should have never shown you pity! Here and now, I shall purify you," Angela vowed.

"Let's see about that," Sebastian said as he pulled out his silverware, prepared to battle.

"Disturbances in the library fall under the jurisdiction of Grim Reapers. We shall join him, Grell and Lilliana," William said.

"Way ahead of you," she said as she pulled out her Death Scythe.

"Oh my! The door opens on a passionate battle and we will march together," Grell said as he pulled out his _deadly_ scissors.

"Excuse us, coming through," Undertaker said as he and Katia were pushing a cart full of Cinematic Records past the fight that was around them. In fact, it seemed they didn't even notice the fight at all as they began to look through the aisles of books.

"Undertaker," Ciel yelled in surprise.

"Hi," he said playfully.

"Hey, what are you doing here-," Grell said, but was soon hit on the head with Will's pruner.

"Mind your manners, idiot This is the virtuoso who passed judgment on the famous Robin Hood and sent Marie Antoinette to hell. He is the legendary Grim Reaper who makes the staunchest of souls give up the ghost."

"Now hold on! He doesn't look anything like the chap I've seen in the portraits! How could this dreary old man be the legendary Grim-," Grell said before lifting the hair in front of his eyes, but soon fell in love with them. "Take me!"

"Oh, great," Lilliana said as she put her face in her hand.

"Lilliana," Katia yelled as she hugged her, who was surprised to see them there at all. "I missed you! When I heard you were under rehabilitation, I got worried about you. I even saw what you did! It terrified me."

"Even you had to see that," she said with embarrassment. It was bad enough anyone saw the mess she made, but the last person she wanted to see that was her.

"Even Bastille saw," she continued.

"Bastille? I thought you said you were trying to locate him," Will said.

"Oh, I found him," she said nervously.

"And did you dispose of him?"

"Wait, 'dispose of him'? Are you guys trying to kill my brother," Lilliana asked with anger in her voice.

"No, I didn't," Katia said shyly.

"Why haven't you?! We hired you to do that-,"

"Wait, 'hired'? Does that mean you are . . . ," Lilliana asked with fear in her tone.

"Yes, she is a demon hunter, but she is one that is torn between her heart and her job. She even tried to kill me because of a deal she made with Bastille," Sebastian said.

"You made a deal with your target," William asked angrily.

"Now let me explain," Katia said frantically, but both Reapers looked at her with anger in their eyes, especially Lilliana's red eyes.

Suddenly, a white light began to shine as Angela ascended above them. "Since you seem busy, I'll start my purification with that abbey," she said.

"Running away again, you coward," Sebastian asked.

"I shall show you all what happens to a world ruled by impurity. I wonder what happens if I eradicate an evil in this world in the form of a demon brother," Angela said as she started to disappear in the light.

"Bastille! I won't let you hurt him," Lilliana said as she jumped into the light and disappeared as well.

"Lilliana," Sebastian yelled as he tried to follow her, but the light soon disappeared and instead, what was left was an angelic seal that trapped them in the room.

* * *

Lilliana entered the abbey in front of the worshippers that were mourning the death of their dear leader, but they were all surprised to see her there, but something was happening to them. They all seemed to be in severe pain and were clenching their chests. "I was wondering when you would show up, Lily Kilia," Angela said.

"That's not my name," she said as she pulled out her Death Scythe.

"Yes it is, but sadly, you seem to have forgotten everything. Have you ever wondered why your brother calls you Lily instead of Lilliana and why you two have different last names despite being siblings?"

"Why would it matter to you? You want to eradicate evil, but you know that light can't exist without darkness."

"Yes, but I can lighten the darkness that lies in your memories. Let me show you," she said as she placed a hand on her forehead, but for some reason, Lilliana couldn't shake it off. She had already fallen into the angel's spell as she showed her memories that she never seen before. "That's right, Lily. Remember the past your brother tried so desperately for you to forget. You need to remember to appreciate what your brother has done for you!"

After a while of tampering with Lilliana's Cinematic Record, she noticed something foul in the air. She looked at one of the women in the pews and noticed something off about her. "Why does she smell like a demon?"

"You see, she's been marked already," Sebastian said as he suddenly appeared before her.

"What a pious demon you are to wish to die at an angel's hands," Angela said before they heard a bloodcurdling scream from Lilliana. They looked and saw that she was crying blood down her face and had a look of absolute horror. "Ah, she's remembering it all now."

"What are you doing to her," he said angrily to her.

"I am only showing her the past she has forgotten and once she knows it, she can be cleansed," she said, but soon had to dodge knives and forks heading her way. She flew around the abbey as more forks and knifes were thrown her way, but each one missed. "Do you think a demon can compete with an immaculate-winged angel? Creatures like you are chained to the earth for eternity."

"Is that so? In that case, that means you are chained to the heavens," he said before she turned around to dodge an attack, but William's pruner pushed her to the wall above them by her neck.

"Grell Sutcliff, Katia Vendoa," he said as he handed the two of them pruner shaped Death Scythes like his, but no one was happier to get a new Death Scythe than Grell. They both used the Death Scythes to pierce her hands and wings so she couldn't move any further. "Wash it and return it when we're done here."

"You're so cruel," Grell said in disappointment.

"Lilliana, snap out of it," Sebastian said as he tried shaking her while her Cinematic Records, which he could see certain parts that were black were now revealing her life as a human. She still had that terrified look on her face, but what surprised him as he got closer was that her eyes were neither red nor green; they were blue, but the tears running down her cheek were still blood.

Suddenly, they saw a glow of a bright light surround them while Angela let out a bloodcurdling yell that terrified the worshippers that were witnessing this fight before them. The building started to shake like they were in an earthquake and the walls around them started to crumble. "Does she mean to destroy herself along with us," Sebastian asked in confusion as he took Lilliana in his arms.

"Guys, the ceiling is falling," Katia said, but had to look away when he noticed the way he was carrying Lilliana.

"You are free to run if you like. It might be the best option for all of you," Sebastian said to the crowd and they all ran frantically to safety, or at least, for some.

"Well retreat as well, Grell and Katia," William said as the two of them started to run out of the building. "Never mind overtime pay, I'd like a day off. Katia, don't think that you are off the hook for your bargain with a demon."

"Y-Yes," she said in a defeated tone. Soon, the abbey started to crumble around them until eventually; the whole abbey collapsed to the ground in a pile of rubble and squished bodies.

* * *

Ciel finally made it back to earth and saw what was left of the abbey. "So, is it over? The one who plunged me into bottomless darkness . . . I don't even know why she did it." He then turned to Sebastian and said, "A promise is a promise. Take my soul, Sebastian." He walked up to him and reached out a hand to him . . . and fixed the bow that had come undone on his shirt. Ciel was surprised as he grabbed Sebastian and asked, "Why aren't you taking my soul? She must be dead or . . . Do you mean there's someone else?"

"I'll be serving you a while longer, young master," he said with a bow.

"Sebastian, Ciel, it's almost done," Katia said. They all walked to where Sebastian had carefully placed Lilliana until her Cinematic Record was completely contained in her. Katia, Grell, and William collected the souls of the people that fell victim to the abbey collapse, but stayed behind so they could take Lilliana back when the time was right. Soon, her Cinematic Record was back inside her and her blue eyes turned back to green, but as she seemed to be conscious, that look of horror stayed on her face. "Lily, are you all right," Katia said as she tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but Lilliana acted rashly as she got up away from her.

"Get away from me," she yelled. "Stay away from me! You're trying to hurt me!"

"Lilliana, what's wrong?"

"Who is that? My name is Lily. ( _Gasp_ ) where is Bastille? He didn't leave me alone again, did he? He said he would protect me and now he's gone!"

"What the hell is going on," Grell asked.

"She is still recovering from the overwhelming experience. Just give her some time and she'll come back to her senses," William said.

"Who are you? Please don't hurt me! I've been through enough!"

"Lilliana, I mean, Lily, please calm down," Sebastian said as he tried to get closer to her, but she moved back.

"I'm not a harlot! I'm not a whore! Don't get any closer," she yelled before she tripped on her own Death Scythe. As she looked at her own weapon, she looked frightened. "What the hell were you going to do to me with _that_?!"

"Lily, please, we only want to help you," Sebastian said as he finally got close enough to hug her. He held on tight as she tried to get out of his grip.

"No, not again! Please stop! I didn't do anything! He lied to everyone! I'm not a . . . I'm not a . . . I'm not . . . ," she said before she calmed down and seem to come back to her senses. "Sebastian, you can stop hugging me now."

"I'm glad to see you're back," he said as he let her go.

"Well, I believe we are done here. Grell, Katia, let's go," Will said as he started walking away from the rubble.

"What about me," Lilliana asked.

"I believe it is safe enough to say that you had a breakthrough and are free from rehabilitation."

"Wait, she devours a soul and she gets out the next day, but when I murder prostitutes and even collect their souls, I'm stuck for weeks," Grell asked in anger.

"Do I have to further demote you," Will asked.

"No, no, no, you don't have to do anything rash."

"Speaking of which, Katia, I want you to report to a rehabilitation room until we decide a proper punishment for you."

"Y-Yes," she said in a defeated tone. She couldn't argue her way out of this; she did this to herself.

"Before you all leave, why don't we have some tea in my shop to celebrate a successful day," Undertaker asked. They all didn't see the harm in a simple tea party and nodded their heads.

* * *

"By the way, why were you in the library? I was under the impression that you retired from active service," Will said as he sipped some tea from the rather large cups Undertaker had.

"Well, you see, Grell reminded me of something," Undertaker said as he grabbed the glass that Grell lovingly served him. "There were some Cinematic Records I'd neglected to return. Come to think of it, two of the books I had checked out were about the Earl and Countess Phantomhive; their true Cinematic Records, with no alternations by angels. Do you want to know what they said, my lord?"

"No, I don't," Ciel said surprisingly. Sebastian looked at Lilliana, who was still shaken up by the experience, but seemed to be a little better. She barely drank the tea that Undertaker provided since her mind was preoccupied.

"I also had two other books that I think Lily can now recognize: Martha Kilia and Pierre Gringoire."

"My parents," Lilliana said under her breath.

"Would you like to read their Cinematic Records?"

"No, I remembered too much today. All I know is that he died of pneumonia and she was burned at the stake for being a witch."

"Let's be off, Sebastian . . . and Lilliana," Ciel said. For some reason, hearing her name from Ciel made her smile and she got up to follow them out the door.

"Are you sure that was wise, my lord? If you read the books, you would know who to take revenge on," Sebastian said.

"It's fine."

"Felling sentimental," Lilliana teased.

"That's not it. It's only . . . It's not my custom to repeatedly disgrace the dead."

* * *

Sebastian tucked his master into bed, but he couldn't help, but feel worried for Lilliana. He hadn't seen her all this time except for glimpses, but now, she was finally back. Still, she suffered such an overwhelming ordeal that it had deeply shaken her, which wasn't an easy task for someone with so much self-control and strength. Whatever was revealed to her today was something that she did not want to experience again, let alone remember it for the first time. He walked to her room where he saw her bundled up on her bed, staring at the wall. "You know, if you keep moping like that, it won't help you move on," he said as he sat on the bed beside her.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were in my position," she said. He could see that she was crying and took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the streaks. She pulled away from him for a second, but then allowed him to wipe your tears.

"Care to explain what has gotten you like this?"

"I don't want to . . . but I think it might help," she said as she sat up. "Well, I was actually born in a city outside of Paris in the late 15th century. My brother and I were close. Our father died when I was very young, but I still remember the sonnets and poems he would tell us and my mother. One day, when I was a young teen, a group of angry villagers came to our house and took my mother away and tied her to a stake. Before she was burned, she saw that Bastille and I were going to be taken care of by a priest and she said a curse that I remembered vividly for years, 'if you hurt any of my children, I will see it that that gates of Heaven will not open for you, but your soul will forever suffer in the belly of demon'. They all laughed as they burned her, but no one knew how right she was. That priest adored my brother since he could work efficiently around the church, but he . . . lusted for me. I can remember the first time he touched me and when he forced me to touch him. He said I had to be the sacrificial lamb to my mother's sins, but before it could get too far, Bastille found out. He took me away from that priest and we lived on the streets for a short amount of time. One day, while Bastille was trying to find a job, that priest found me, kidnapped me, and . . . raped me. All I could remember from that night was the pain I felt and when I found Bastille and told him what happened, he confronted the priest, but he told the other priests and everyone in that church that it was _my_ fault for seducing _him_ and do you want to know the worst part was: they believed him! After that, everyone called me a whore and a harlot and we continued to live on the streets ever since. No one would hire the brother of a harlot and men were so perverse that they would try to rape the whore because 'she wanted it so bad, she fucked the priest'. Some succeeded. I cursed God and all of his followers for letting such a terrible thing happen to an innocent person. The last thing I remember was stealing a knife from a dead gypsy on the street and stabbing myself in the heart," she said while suppressing tears.

Sebastian was silent. He had a theory to what might have happened to her in her human life, but he didn't imagine the severity of the issue and how it affected her. "So, that's why you hate clergy."

"Yes and saving that girl by devouring that priest's soul reminded me a bit of it, but I thought I was just imagining things. I didn't think it actually happened."

"Well, the past can hold some traumatic experiences that we would like to forget, but even if we do, they will always haunt us."

"The thing I found strange about all this is why did Angela show me my traumatic past? I thought she was supposed to give me a false peace? Why would she make me remember something that Bastille sacrificed his humanity to make me forget?"

"I do find it strange, but it must serve another purpose. You and I both know that she is still out there."

"Yes, so we must keep our guard up before she fulfills that other purpose," she said as she lay back on the bed, presumably to go to sleep. Sebastian got up and tried to leave the room, but heard her say, "Please don't leave. I want you to stay with me tonight."

"Of course," he said as he returned, slid into the blankets, and lay next to her, making her smile. "Good night, Lilliana."

"Good night, Sebastian," she said as she drifted off to sleep, feeling safe in his arms.


	18. Imprisoned, but Soon Escaping

"A man's body washed up at Regent's Canal Dock this morning. His name was John Stanley and was in the merchant ship business, but was operating in the criminal underworld on secret orders from Her Majesty, just like you, Lord Phantomhive," Ash said while having tea with the young lord. This wasn't the first time he has dropped by, according to Sebastian, but he was always a guest, especially since he was the Queen's butler. This time, however, he provided materials needed for the next mission. "Her Majesty bids me tell you, 'Find the item he carried on his person and destroy it'." He then showed them the letter that contained the Queen's mission as proof of her words and Ciel took it out of his hands. "Are you up to the task?"

"Not find the killer," Ciel asked.

"Correct. The Queen desires you to dispose his belongings. That is all."

"And what is this object?"

Ash chuckled as he said, "That's a secret."

"Then how am I suppose to find it," Ciel said with impatience in his voice.

"It's something Her Majesty hesitates to discuss even with you, the loyal dog she trusts above all others. Make sure curiosity doesn't drive you to examine its contents."

"Well then, tell Her Majesty that I will ease her worry and complete the task in a timely manner."

"Excellent, Lord Phantomhive," Ash said as he got up from the chair and started to head out, but not before noticing Lilliana, who was now in her maid outfit. "Weren't you the woman who fought her own brother at the curry exhibition?"

"Yes, but that whole day was a disaster. I'm just glad everyone made it out okay."

"He had quite a bit of anger to try to kill a fellow butler, but I found it rather . . . interesting that even with that cursed spice, he still found compassion for you when you got hurt. He must truly love you."

"Yes he does," she said. He smiled and then escorted himself out of the estate. "Why the hell would he find that interesting," she said under her breath.

* * *

Ciel, Sebastian, and Lilliana arrived to the harbor where Stanley's body was found by a boy and his old mentor, but no one else seemed to know who he was. The only theory they had was that he was a victim of a robbery from a mafia. The expertise of the killing seems to suggest that, but nothing could be proven just yet. "The word is that there's a queer new drug on the market. It may have sparked a feud between mafias," Sir Arthur said.

"In any case, we'll have to begin by identifying him," Abberline said.

"That won't be necessary, Ciel said as he finally reached the center of the crowd. "His name is John Stanley. Here are his particulars." Sebastian walked up to the Yard and handed him an envelope that Sir Arthur quickly grabbed out of his hand.

"Just what are you playing at," he asked with suspicion in his voice.

"It's our civic duty to cooperate with the police and provide information whenever we come across it," Lilliana said with a smirk. "Isn't that what you always told my young master to do?"

"Quit it with your nonsense. What are you really after? Just say it, Phantomhive."

"All right, Sir Arthur, I shall. I want you to show me this man's belongings," Ciel said.

"Actually, he didn't have anything on him. There wasn't even any proof of identity," Abberline said.

"In that case, I'm happy I could be of service, Inspector Abberline. Let's go, Sebastian and Lilliana."

"Very good," they said as they followed him out the crowd. They rode off in their carriage to their next destination, but Ciel had a troubled look on his face.

"Is something the matter, my lord? You seem even more cynical than usual," Lilliana said.

"Who could look pleasant at a time like this?"

"You're too modest, my lord. Your face looks quite pleasant to me," Sebastian said with a smile.

"I'm simply at a bit of a loss. We don't have enough information. The first thing we need is a better view of the situation, meaning that we need to know why Stanley was murdered. Was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time or was he killed because of his mission. Lilliana, can you look into his Cinematic Record?"

"I wish I could, but he had been dead for a while and Grim Reapers like to collect souls as soon as they can," she said.

"Then how shall we go about searching for witnesses, my lord," Sebastian said, hoping he had a plan B.

"We shall leave that to the Yard for now. The best person to ask about Rome is a Roman. The murder happened in _his_ territory." The carriage finally stopped and the trio found themselves in front of building, but underneath was an opium den. They walked past the smoke from the pipes and found the person they were looking for.

"It seems you've finally found my humble business, my lord. It's strange that we should face each other like this, but you know, I rather thought this day might come," Lau said with many smiling girls surrounding him, including Ran-Mao.

"What day," Ciel asked in an irritated tone.

"Welcome to my house of pleasure, my lord! Long time no see."

"I'm not interested in pleasantries. I have a question for you, Lau."

"You're so impatient for such a young man. You coming all the way to a den like this to see me can only mean one thing."

"So you've heard? It's just what I'd expect from the head of the English branch of the Chinese trading company Kunlun or rather, from an officer of the Shanghai Mafia's Green Gang."

"I don't much fancy being called that. It's so stiff and formal. Don't you agree, Ran-Mao?"

"I left you in charge of the dealings in this area for a reason. I assume you're aware of all the neighborhood disputes."

"Naturally, I've done just as you ordered. That's the protection fee I pay so you let me do business in England. More importantly, my lord, I have a question for you too: what are you talking about?"

"Why you," Lilliana said with annoyance in her voice. "So you were just talking through your hat . . . again."

Lau laughed as he said, "At any rate, shall we go upstairs? It's a bit stuffy in here."

"I told you before: get out of this business while you can," Ciel said.

"One night, Zhuang Zhou dreamt he was a butterfly. He was a happy fluttering butterfly. There are people in this world, my lord, who find reality too painful to live through. I'm selling those people dreams from their painful experiences," he said as he walked past the customers who were smoking opium pipes and he and Ran-Mao guided the trio upstairs to his office. He opened the door and made sure they were comfortable before he continued, "Well, nowadays all the gang fights in this area have been over drugs. Recently, someone's been spreading a new product around. Frankly, it's an inconvenience for me, too. Everyone says it's cheaper, lighter, and more effective than common opium. It's known as 'Lady Blanc'."

"'Lady Blanc, or in other words, a white woman," Ciel said before having a flashback to the last time he saw a white woman. Both Sebastian and Lilliana knew what he was thinking and she had to calm down if she wanted to make sure her eyes remained green.

"Is something wrong," Lau asked.

"No."

"What was the name of the man they found at Regent's Canal Dock, again?"

"John Stanley, though that's most likely an alias," Sebastian said as he showed a picture to Lau, hoping he would recognize the man.

"He doesn't look familiar to me. I believe I'd recognize just about any drug dealer around, but what about you, Ran-Mao," Lau asked as he showed the picture to her, but she shook her head. "There you have it."

"I'm looking for something this man was supposed to have had. It is possible that he was killed for it. Therefore, there's something I'd like you to do for me," Ciel said.

"And what is that, my lord?"

"I want you to spread a rumor that I got something valuable from the dead man at the dock."

"That's a pretty simple request, but might I ask why?"

"If that rumor spreads, the person who killed him and stole this object should fear it wasn't the genuine article and come after me."

"I see, you mean to use yourself as bait. They don't call you the Queen's loyal guard dog for nothing. Say, my lord, I've wanted to ask you: how can you be so loyal to her? She just asks you for the unreasonable."

"You wouldn't understand. You left your country to travel the world, never putting down roots," Ciel said in a somber tone.

"You've got me there," Lau said with a smile.

* * *

The trio arrived at the townhouse and they discussed their future steps for this case as the two servants served Ciel his afternoon tea and sweets, but something was on his mind, "Sebastian, Lilliana, do you think that woman is involved in this case, too," Ciel asked.

"She better not be. I'm still pissed at what she did and if she ever returned, I'll make sure she doesn't leave without a few battle scars," Lilliana said angrily, but took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"You're like a lost puppy right now, aren't you? I am merely one hell of a good pawn. Isn't it rather absurd for a player to ask a pawn his opinion on strategy," Sebastian said.

"I'm still alive, which means that my wish hasn't been fulfilled and as a man of the Phantomhive line, I will play the guard dog again on her orders, like so many of my ancestors before me. It's just how it's always been; nothing is different," Ciel said, but soon, they heard a scream from the other room.

"What now," Lilliana said. This was one of the trips that Ciel invited the other servants, but also one other person, or dog really.

"B-Bad dog! Get off of me," Mey-Rin yelled as she was pinned down to the floor by Pluto.

"Let her go, you stupid mutt. I told you to get off her," Baldroy said as he tried to pull him off by his tailcoat. They finally clothed the demon hound, but the only outfit they could spare was a footman's uniform, which was still better than nothing.

"You mustn't do that, Plu-Plu," Finnian said.

"Sebastian, do something about that stupid creature," Ciel said in an annoyed voice.

"Certainly," he said. He looked at the dog with his demon eyes as he said, "Kennel, Pluto." Pluto looked at him with fear and ran off, finally freeing Mey-Rin.

"Can anyone tell me what that was that about," Ciel asked.

"Maybe he's rutting," Lilliana said.

"He seemed to be extremely interested in her pocket," Sebastian said. Mey-Rin looked surprised by his statement and checked her pockets, but was surprised to feel something there. She pulled them out and showed the others; it looked like two Funtom candies.

"Oh, I almost forgot about these. Someone gave it to me. It's the rage all over London. I hear it's sold out almost everywhere, yes," she said.

"But when we said we never heard of it, a nice lady gave us some so we could try it," Finny said as he held out his own Funtom candies. "She said even adults fancied it. Amazing, isn't it? It's supposed to make you feel all wonderful!"

"She said it's addictive," Baldroy said.

"Hold on a bit, let's have a look," Tanaka said as he took the candy out of Mey-Rin's hand, but was surprised by the wrapping and texture of the "candy". "My lord, this sweet was not produced by our company. This wrapper is genuine, but our quality control is not so lax as to permit a shipment of something so unshapely. I can guarantee that, my lord"

Lilliana took the candy from his hand and ate it, but they were all surprised when she said calmly, "This is a narcotic."

"How in bloody hell are you not affected," Baldroy said, shocked to learn that not only was there a drug out there under the Funtom name, but she ate that drug and was unaffected.

"I have immunity to drugs. It's a blessing and a curse," she explained, but Ciel rolled his eyes. "I believe it's a form of morphine derived from the opium poppy and then even further refined. I assume it is the new drug that Mr. Lau spoke of."

Ciel knew this was bad for not only his company, but also his family name. Who would allow such a drug to be made with the Funtom name and get away with it? "Take me to the sweets factory and be quick about it," Ciel ordered Sebastian as he entered the carriage and he got up to the driver seat and quickly whipped the reins. Lilliana couldn't join them this time since she had to perform her Reaper duties, but was asked that if she knew anything about the Lady Blanc case, she had to report to them immediately. They rode for a while before Inspector Abberline ordered them to halt right in front of them. Sebastian pulled at the reins with all his might so that they wouldn't crash and luckily, he succeeded.

"You're a reckless man. You do realize that if I were anybody else, you would be dead," Sebastian said.

"I did this _because_ of who you are, Sebastian," he said with a smile, but soon, they were surrounded by officers.

"What's all this, Sebastian," Ciel said as he got out of the carriage.

"Ciel, Earl Phantomhive, I am detaining you for suspected violation of the Pharmacy Act," Abberline said.

"My, my, _you_ are detaining _me_? You, a mere untitled police inspector," Ciel said in a cocky tone.

"That's right. You're suspected of conspiring with that Chinese fellow, Lau, to sell a new form of narcotic."

"With Lau? Ha, that's ludicrous. He's nothing but one of my pawns and Randall knew full well that he was running an opium den. If that's a problem, you can just arrest him. Lau knows he operates his opium business at his own risk."

"There's a Funtom warehouse in the Docklands, correct?"

"Yes."

"A large stash of opium was just discovered there, far too great an amount of it for you to claim recreational use, sitting there with Funtom's sweet wrappers."

"And Lau?"

"He fled. The police team who went to arrest him suffered a good many casualties. That's as good as an admission of guilt."

"What shall we do, young master," Sebastian asked.

"Sebastian, I order you to-." Ciel tried to say.

"Shut your mouth, brat," Sir Arthur said as he walked toward the young lord with a gun in his hand. "Abberline, I told you to separate him from his butler straight away."

"I trust you understand what it means to point a gun at me," Ciel said.

"If you want to resist, by all means, do, but that will be the end of the sullied Phantomhive crest. I've just received a direct order from Her Majesty the Queen. In the name of the Queen, I hereby suspend all the Earl Phantomhive's authority until these suspicions are laid to rest! If you defy me, you shall be stripped of your noble title on the charge of high treason. Furthermore, Lau, the head of the English branch of Kunlun, who is deeply involved in opium smuggling, shall pay for his crimes with his death. Ciel Phantomhive, will you agree to confess to Lau's whereabouts or to the whereabouts of the Queen's letter we know you have concealed?"

"I'm afraid not," Ciel said in a subtle angry tone.

"I should very much like to push you on that, but unfortunately, Her Majesty forbids it. I suppose I'll ask your butler instead. We already have your maid." The two looked in shock. How could they possibly have arrested a Grim Reaper?

"Fine, I'll play your game, but I assure you that you're gravely mistaken," Ciel said as he walked to the officers. They were handcuffed and they were both transported to a fort close to the docks; Ciel was taken to a holding cell, but Sebastian was taken to a torture room. As he entered the room, he saw that they were right: they had arrested Lilliana, but she was unconscious. She was wearing her Reaper uniform and was hanging from her arms by chains, but what worried him was the blood that was on her shirt. It wasn't something that was splashed on her; it was like someone had stabbed her straight in the chest.

"What have you done to her," he asked angrily.

"Relax; we haven't done anything to her . . . yet. She's been unconscious for a while. In fact, we found her like that," Randall said. Soon, the torturer locked him up chains and ripped off Sebastian's shirt so he could be in more pain when the torture began. "If you're going to confess, you'd best do it soon, Sebastian."

"Very well then, I confess: I was responsible for the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe," Sebastian joked.

"What . . . the . . . hell?"

"As I recall, it was during the reign of Edward III-"

"Do you think this is a joke?! That was a full five hundred years ago! Give him as much pain as you like," Sir Arthur said as he left.

"Yes sir! Oh goodie; if you'd confessed, I would've missed out on my fun, you see! Oh, look at those eyes; should I pierce them or cut them out or burn them? No, I'll save the best part for last. First, let's hear a nice scream from you, or should I get one out of that pretty thing," the torturer said as he approached Lilliana, who was still unconscious. He grabbed her face and showed it to him, as if taunting him.

"If you're going to do anything, you'll do it to me. Don't you dare hurt her," Sebastian barked at him angrily.

"Very well, then, but a woman is so much more . . . fun to torture, or at least, for me," he said with a perverse chuckle.

* * *

After a few lashings and bottles of liquor, the torturer fell asleep, but at the same time, Lilliana started to wake up. She groaned quietly, but as she tried to move, she realized that she was chained to the wall and the pain in her chest was still there. "What . . . the hell?!"

"Lilliana, you're awake," Sebastian said in a weak voice. She looked to him and saw the wounds on his chest that had blood pouring out.

"You look like shit," she said as her eyes turned red, but she couldn't tell if it was out of bloodlust or just lust. "Well, this would be a lot sexier if you were the one who chained me up or vice versa, but what the hell is going on?"

"Apparently, Lau was involved with the Lady Blanc production and our young master and I have been arrested."

"How is he?"

"He's fine."

"But apparently, you were given the harsher treatment. How come you were the one who was tortured?"

"They think I have information that he won't share, but I've only confessed that I caused Black Death."

She started to laugh as she said, "Well, I'm not surprised."

"So, how did they capture you?"

"I don't know. I was collecting the souls of the officers that were trying to arrest Lau, but all of the sudden, I felt a sharp pain in my chest and I fainted. The next thing I know, I'm here with you."

"A sharp pain in the chest, you say? Do you think that your brother has anything to do with this?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"Well, he has his mark on your chest and if he wanted to control you, he would just activate it. Sometimes it can be very painful or pleasurable, but it all depends on how it was placed."

"So you're saying that Bastille used the mark to make me faint? Why would he do that, especially since I'm in this dungeon? He wouldn't allow this!"

"It was just a theory," he said before they both heard footsteps heading towards them.

"You two make a pretty picture like this," Angela said with a whip in her hand. "So, this is how far you'll go in your loyalty to your master, Sebastian."

"Those are the terms of the contract between us," Sebastian said.

"The boy must be gnashing his teeth right now, since he's been shown his own powerlessness."

"Yes, I imagine so, but that won't stop him. Even if all his pawns are stolen and the king is the only piece left on the board, he will never pull out of the game. That's our master's nature and you should know that."

"Why not start acting like a demon and be faithful to your own desires? This is harder on you than you'll admit. I'm sure there is more than just defiling a Grim Reaper."

"Watch your tongue," Lilliana said, but Angela only chuckled.

"How long has it been? You haven't eaten any human soul in quite some time, Sebastian. Heck, even a Grim Reaper, or really an abomination, has been able to do at least that. Now, you're heavily injured to boot. You must be beyond ravenous. Shall we make a deal? The true Doomsday will arrive in due time. When that happens, I'll let you have as many souls as you like," Angela said as she caressed his wounded chest with her whip. "All you have to do is give up that boy."

"No thank you. I'm tired of simply gobbling everything I can lay my hands on. My young master is the only one I want. I desire nothing else."

"What about me," Lilliana asked in a playfully jealous tone.

"I desire his soul, but your body," he said, which made her smile.

"I see. Then I'm afraid our negotiations have broken down, but there is one thing I can't stand," she said as she approached Lilliana, turned her around, and lifted her shirt so the mark was visible. "I can't stand this mark! It is not one cursed onto someone, but one that is placed by a sinful vice. She could have been pure, but she continues to defile herself."

"What the fuck are you trying to say? Do you think I wanted to be impure? I had no choice, but to become this! Are you going to say it was my fault that everything happened to me?!"

"No, I'm not saying that. That corrupt priest led you away from the light, but even in your new life, you managed to become more and more impure with your mere existence. I honestly don't know why Bastille thinks his little sister is someone that he can save. You are past saving and Sebastian is to blame."

"Don't you dare hurt him, you fucking cunt," she said before Angela whipped her. It managed to hit her lower back, distorting the mark a bit, but she continued to whip that same spot.

"Perish and be cleansed, o unclean one! The pain you feel is a blessing from His Holiness. Blood is what you offer up for expiation of sin! The cursed soul must be purged with flame!" Soon, more and more blood came out of her body and the smell filled the air.

Sebastian chuckled as he said, "There is one thing I've learned from working with a Rogue Reaper: if you feed into her devilish desires, she'll do anything to attain what she wants." At those words, Lilliana managed to pull down the chains from the wall with her demonic strength so that she was free. Angela moved back in fear and tried to whip her, but she blocked the attack with her arm and quickly grabbed her Death Scythe. She swung it toward her, but Angela woke the torturer, hoping that by some chance, he would be able to subdue her, and left in a hurry, but Sebastian started to laugh as he said, "At last." He too pulled the chains from the wall and the torturer was scared for his life, but it was soon over as he was sliced in half and his blood started to pour to the floor.

"Go to Ciel while I collect his soul, but I want you to know one thing: Abberline is going to shield Ciel from danger," she said. He nodded and went to save his master. She bent down toward the two halves of a man, still aching from the whipping, but her injuries seemed to heal fast. It wasn't like being sliced by a demon sword or a severe injury from an axe, but it surprisingly still hurt. She looked at his Cinematic Record and said to herself, "What a poor fool you are, Fred Abberline."

* * *

"Finish them off," Corraro, the now ruler of East End, said as his men started to shoot up the carriage with Abberline and Ciel inside, but soon, Sebastian came in and killed all the shooters. However he looked as if nothing had happened to him; his wounds were healed and his clothes were changed before he arrived.

"You're late," Ciel said.

"You made me wait quite a while as well, young master," Sebastian said, but soon, Lilliana showed us with her wound completely healed too.

"Is there ever a time when I can just follow you guys without having to clean up your messes," she joked with her Death Scythe in hand.

"Are you even allowed to have such a weapon in your hand," Abberline said in shock.

She looked at him and said, "Huh, I didn't realize you were here. This isn't a weapon, okay," she said with a smile, but Abberline didn't believe her.

"It seems that soft-hearted dupe temporarily infected me, but that's all over. Sebastian, Lilliana, go after Lau. I have no use for pawns that defy their players," Ciel said.

"You're certain, my young master? You won't be able to take back that order," Lilliana said.

"I remove anyone who stands in my way, even family and friends. Is that understood?"

"Yes, my lord," they said.

"Wait, Ciel," Abberline said.

"Keep your distance from me or you'll get killed. I work in the shadows and you work in the light. We walk opposite paths, Abberline. It's best that you remember that."

"Still, I can help," he said. "I told you, I want this world to be a safe one for my child's sake. Please, let me at least do that!" They thought about it, but nodded, hoping he had a plan that was far away from physical combat. Soon, he took them back to the fort, but this time, toward the cannons.

"Fire," Ciel ordered as multiple cannons fired and some struck the ship that had Lau and Ran-Mao inside. "Sebastian, Lilliana, let's go!"

"Very good," he said with Ciel in his arms as the next cannon fired and miraculously, he managed to land on one and rode the cannonball to the ship and Lilliana did the same with another cannonball. They got on the ship and tried to find Lau, but they were soon met with Ran-Mao and her odd weapon of choice. To the untrained eye, it could have been mistaken for decorative paper prop, but it was deadlier than anyone would have guessed. She still had no emotion in her face, but they all knew why she was there.

"I'll take care of her. You and Lilliana can find Lau," Sebastian said as he set Ciel down.

"All right, Lilliana, let's go," Ciel said and she followed.

"I kill my brother's enemies," Ran-Mao said.

"Then let's see about that," Sebastian said. As this was going on, Ciel and Lilliana searched the ship, but she was somewhat distracted by the bodies of sailors that suffered from the cannons. However, she didn't see blood, so she was able to control herself, but the thought of collecting the souls seemed to be tiresome. Eventually, the two found the cabin that Lau was hiding in and barged in.

"It seems you've finally found this place, my lord. It's strange that we should face each other like this, but you know, I rather thought this day might come," Lau repeated from when they found the opium den.

"You're right, Lau," Ciel said as he aimed a gun toward him.

"Ah yes, what you're looking for is in that shelf. What do you suppose is written there, my lord? It's quite a fascinating article," Lau said as Ciel grabbed the document. "It's a diplomatic correspondence proposing a military alliance with Germany and Italy. Your beloved Queen is trying to plunge Europe, no, the _world_ , into war. She'll trigger it by invading France through the opium trade, or rather, Lady Blanc. Yes, just as your country once invaded mine through opium. Will you still be her guard dog when the guns start firing," he asked as he tapped his opium pipe with his finger to release the ashes inside.

"Is that why you betrayed me?"

"No, not at all."

"Then why?!"

"I was just your pawn. The only tie that bound us was profit, but, you see, my lord, I've been a bit bored. I was bored with being your pawn, so I wanted to play a little game with our lives on the line." Ciel tried to shoot Lau, but his opium pipe suddenly turned into a sword, shocking the both of them. However, Lilliana managed to block the attack with her Death Scythe and they soon ran outside for defense. Lau followed them menacingly, but he saw how beaten Ran-Mao looked and said, "To think you've pushed Ran-Mao's strength this far. I see I was right all along: you and Lilliana are not human, are you?"

"Believe what you like, but you see, I am simply one hell of a butler," Sebastian said.

"Very interesting, my lord; can a world so interesting truly be reality? Sometimes, I think perhaps I've been dreaming ever since that fateful day," he said as he moved to strike Ciel.

"Sebastian!" He tried to reach his young master, but Ran-Mao got in the way.

"I won't let you," she said as she tried to strike him. However, before the blade could reach Ciel, it struck through Abberline, who was just in time to save Ciel, but at the cost of his own safety and life.

"Abberline," Ciel said with utter shock.

"You're in my way, Inspector," Lau said as he pulled the sword out of his body, causing Abberline to fall to the ground. He tried striking again, but Lilliana blocked the attack while Sebastian swung his hand to Lau with an attack so strong, it pierced his skin and blood started to pour out, causing Lilliana's eyes to turn red. Lau leaned toward the side of the ship as Ran-Mao hurriedly rushed to his side. "Magnificent, my lord. That's just the vice-," he said in pain. "The match is over. You've won the game, my lord. Apparently, I don't have what it takes to be a player." Soon, he and Ran-Mao jumped off the ship and into the ocean below. Sebastian tried to follow them, but saw that Ciel was worriedly at Abberline's side.

"Hang on, Abberline!"

"Ciel . . . I'm glad . . . that you're all right. I was just . . . like you . . . when I lost my family. I thought I'd never have one again. . . . I thought I could never get them back . . . but I was wrong. You _can_ get them back," he said in a weak voice.

"You're wrong! I-,"

"You have a chance . . . to get a future for yourself again. You must not . . . forget that," he said before he died, but not before removing his eye patch, revealing his mark of the covenant.

"There's no future for me. I exchanged my future for . . . ," Ciel said as if he were still listening.

"Young master," Sebastian said, but was soon slapped by Ciel.

"You failed, Sebastian. My life was in danger, but you didn't move a muscle. That is against our contract," he said angrily.

"You were perfectly safe, my lord. You didn't get hurt, did you? I knew that you wouldn't. Mr. Abberline would shield you from-," he said before he was slapped again.

"How could you have known," he asked, but looked at Lilliana, who was collecting the souls of the dead sailors. "You . . . you told him that he was going to die."

"No, I told him that Abberline was going to shield you. I didn't tell him how."

"Why didn't you tell me this whole time?!"

"Grim Reapers aren't supposed to interfere with anyone on the To-Die list. It's against the rules."

"Since when do you follow the rules?"

"I don't like to, but I do in order to protect myself and my brother."

"Save Abberline! I assume you have to power to do so!"

"I can't do-,"

"He was going to get married and be a father! How can you be so cruel and not him live to see that!"

"Grim Reapers can only bring people back from the dead if they will benefit all of humanity and change the world for the better. True, he would change his child's life, but what big change can he accomplish if he lived just a little longer. I'm sorry, Ciel, but I can't do anything," she said before Ciel slapped her too.

The trio looked at the body and said, "Abberline, you damn fool!"

"Yes, what a fool," Lilliana said.


	19. Phantomhive's Engaging Servants

"Good morning, young master," all the servants, including Tanaka and Lilliana, said as they watched Sebastian and Ciel walk down the main stairs and into the drawing room, but they noticed something was off. "Young master?"

"Is everything all right," Finnian asked, but Ciel was already in the room and Sebastian closed the door behind him.

"Ah, you can tell," Tanaka said.

"Sure, at first glance, he looks the same as usual, but only his loyal servants can see the difference clear as day," Baldroy said.

"Let's give his spirits a boost," Mey-Rin said with glee.

"Good idea," Finny said.

"We'll have a party," Bard said.

"Equanimity," Tanaka said before taking a sip of tea.

"You mean like keeping yourself on an even keel, or in other words, helping the young master relax," Lilliana asked.

"All right, yes! I'll polish this mansion until it gleams like new," Mey-Rin said with determination in her voice.

"The time has finally come to show off my special recipes," Bard said.

"I'll make all the trees outside look as healthy as they can be," Finny said. "Let's go!" The three servants left to work on their extra special task, but Lilliana couldn't help, but stay behind. She was about to enter the drawing room, but decided not to. Ciel needed time to himself after what happened the other day; Abberline's death took quite a toll on the young lord, which surprised her. Usually, Ciel never showed any emotion toward anyone's death, not even his own aunt's, but knowing that a good man, who did no wrong and had a wife and a child on the way, was killed right in front of his own eyes affected him greatly. She decided to leave him alone and wait for the servants to mess up something so she would have to clean it up.

* * *

 _Tanaka, the previous head butler of the Phantomhive estate, could always be seen sipping tea out of his favorite tea set. Tanaka, the quiet, but wisest servant, may have times when he isn't himself. Tanaka, the old man, was once Vincent Phantomhive's head butler, but was honorably demoted when Ciel and Sebastian came back to the estate. Tanaka, the lovable man, knows about the secret biddings that his young master has to go through since he saw those same requests given to his previous master. That was who Tanaka was. That is who Tanaka is now._

* * *

"Cut that out, Plu-Plu," Finny said while riding on top of Pluto, who was burning down trees with his fire breath. He tried controlling him, but even his superhuman strength couldn't handle a demon dog so easily. However, he started to laugh as he said, "You're sure are full of energy today, aren't you?" However, as Pluto set fire to another tree, Finny saw that two birds flew away from the flames. Pluto leaped into the air and tried to eat the birds, but Finny forced his mouth shut before he could kill the gentle creatures. "Please don't eat them, Plu-Plu!" Soon, Pluto landed on the ground, trying to regain his strength after what just happened, but Lilliana was there, giggling at what just happened.

"Well, thank goodness that you're here," she said.

"Huh? Oh, hi Lilliana. I . . . I was just-," he said nervously.

"No, no, it's fine. You saved those birds' lives."

"But I put them in that danger. Sorry, little birdies and sorry to you too, Plu-Plu. Before I came here, the birds were my only friends, but since I worked for the Earl, I've been able to go outside every single day and I have made even more friends. It's so much fun!"

"I see, but to be honest with you, I felt the same way, but my only friend was a voice in my head telling me to get out."

"Really? What happened to you before you came here?"

"Oh, let's just say that where I came from, I was not welcomed at all. They tried to change me to be something that I'm not and I fought a hard battle, but in the end, I guess they won."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I made it out and I'm glad to be surrounded by people that actually care about me."

He smiled, but they soon heard Pluto's howl, as if it was an alarm for something bad about to happen. "Plu-Plu, what's wrong?"

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to check on how everyone else is doing," Lilliana said before leaving his side. After all, a deity can't interfere with an assignment.

"All right," Finny said as he continued on working outside.

As she entered the main hall, she heard Mey-Rin say, "I'll make it all clean, yes! I'll make it sparkling, yes I will!" Lilliana walked up to the stairs to look at her progress, but noticed something was off.

"Uh, Mey-Rin, what are you doing?"

"WH-What a silly question; I'm polishing the railing-," she said before she realized that the railing wasn't shiny, but black. "I mistook the shoe polish for the wax!"

Lilliana shook her head as she said, "Are you sure you don't need new glasses? Isn't it about time you replaced-,"

"No! These were a precious gift from the young master. Please don't take them away from me," she said as she frantically protected her glasses.

"At any rate, please clean this off quickly while I go check on Bard."

"Yes," Mey-Rin said as she hurriedly tried to clean off the polish. However, before Lilliana could even leave her side, she heard an explosion from the kitchen and she let out a sigh.

She rushed to the kitchen and saw the cloud of black smoke, soon followed by Baldroy swatting the smoke away from his face while holding a bundle of dynamite in the other. "Bard, how many times have Sebastian and I told you that dynamite is not a cooking utensil?"

"Sorry, but I thought it would be faster this way," Baldroy said apologetically.

"There's plenty of time. Why would you need to hurry?"

"In my head, I know that, but before I came here, I'd never taken my time making food. I always end up rushing and messing it up. Problem is, I've just never gotten used to what 'peace' feels, even now."

"I can help prepare lunch for today. Would you mind cleaning up in here, please?"

"Dammit, fine."

Once the messes were cleaned up, the four servants met in the servants' quarters, but one thing was on Finny's mind. "What was the mansion like before we came here," he asked the other servants.

"How should I know? I was the last one to get a job here," Lilliana said.

"The only person who could answer that is Tanaka, but it's no use. Asking him is a waste of time," Bard said.

"I've been meaning to ask you: what happened to Katia? She went with the young master and Sebastian to that castle, but she never returned. Have any idea why," Mey-Rin asked Lilliana.

"Well, I don't know why for sure, but I heard that she was fired."

"Fired? What did she do that was worse than what we've done," Bard asked in shock.

"She demonstrated a behavior that caused Ciel to be very angry with her, or, at least, that's what Sebastian told me."

"Well, it was nice to have a new face around the estate, even if it was temporary," Finny said.

"I have to see her anyway," she said under her breath.

"There's one more person we can ask," Mey-Rin said.

* * *

 _Katia Vendoa, the American girl, was the recent addition to the Phantomhive family. Katia, the sweet, but deadly girl, was sent by Lilliana to check on the Phantomhive estate while she was injured. Katia, the girl who followed all the rules, was fired for just being a Grim Reaper. Katia, the Grim Reaper, is a Rogue demon hunter who was hired to kill Bastille Kilia, but is now on trial for colluding with said demon and awaiting punishment. That was who Katia was. That is who Katia is._

* * *

"You want to know what life was like in the old Phantomhive manor," Lizzie repeated for clarification. They invited her over so they could ask her the question, but they did it outside so neither Ciel nor Sebastian could hear their conversation. After all, they wanted to cheer up the master without him knowing.

"Yes, my lady. What was life like before we were all hired," Finny asked.

"Well, Ciel's father, mother, and Aunt Angelica were always smiling and Ciel was too. The Phantomhive home was full of smiles," she said in a slightly sad tone. Remembering those good times compared to how he acted now did always make her feel a bit sad, especially since she knew why he was like this.

"That's it," Mey-Rin and Finny said simultaneously with smiles on their faces, making Lizzie confused by their sudden happiness.

"We'll fill this mansion full of smiles. If we do that, the young master should recover his spirits," Mey-Rin said.

"That sounds marvelous," Lizzie said with a big smile on her face.

"So, we're supposed to smile like lunatics for no reason," Bard said, but was approached by the other two servants.

"This is for the young master," Mey-Rin said as she and Finny pinched his face and stretched it so it could look like a smile. "Smile Bard!"

"Ow, Ow, Ow! Ok, fine," he yelled as he pushed them aside and, with sore cheeks, smiled too.

"I'll help as well," Lizzie said, but before she could continue, the servants looked into the distance as they heard rustle in the trees, which wasn't a good thing for them. Before Lizzie could figure out what was going on, Finny picked her up and all five of them ran inside to protect the young lady. Even Pluto stared off into the distance and let out a menacing growl. Tanaka opened the door, letting the group in and they all caught their breaths. "What's happening," she yelled, but they didn't say anything until she got inside. As he set her down, she said angrily, "What's the meaning of this?"

"There's some time before dinner," Sebastian said as he entered the room. "Please relax inside until it's time, Lady Elizabeth."

"What's going on, Sebastian?"

"Lady Elizabeth," Lilliana called. As soon as she turned to see them, they reminded her of their secret mission with their smiles. With those smiles on their faces, she smiled too, probably the cutest smile out of all them.

"This way, please," Tanaka said as he guided the young woman out of the room.

Sebastian looked at the servants and said, "I leave it to the four of you." Their smiles disappeared as they nodded to his order.

* * *

The first on the offense was Mey-Rin. As the assassins drew closer to the mansion, she shot her guns with expertise and without any type of scope to see her target. Without her glasses, she now had the accuracy she needed to complete such a high-stake task. Her gift allowed her to see her targets even from the farthest distance. Every shot she took hit her target, either injuring them or killing them. She had amazing agility and mobility that avoided every shot that the assassins tried to land on her "We'll protect this estate, yes," she said, but before she continued, she remembered one thing: smile.

* * *

 _Mey-Rin, the maid of the Phantomhive estate, was the first to be offered a job at the manor. Mey-Rin, the lovable, but somewhat incompetent maid, seems to have a talent for tripping and breaking things. Mey-Rin, the sweet woman, was once a skilled marksman due to her gifted vision that could see prey from miles away. Mey-Rin, the woman with incredible sight, was given glasses by her young master to impair that gift until it was necessary, even if it did hinder her sight at close-range. That was who Mey-Rin was. That is who Mey-Rin is._

* * *

On the rooftop, Baldroy aimed his sniper to the enemies hiding among the trees, hiding from Mey-Rin. He chuckled at the idea of skilled assassins hiding from a single woman, but even he never messed with her. He saw some men that Mey-Rin shot fall to the ground and yelled, "Hey, you're gonna die if you don't go home and treat that wound quick." Before he could do anything else, he remembered one thing: smile.

* * *

 _Baldroy, the chef of the Phantomhive estate, was the second to be offered a job. Baldroy, the hard-working, but somewhat impatient chef, liked using military weapons as cooking utensils. Baldroy, the lovable man, is an American war veteran who watched his whole troop get brutally killed in a battle that left him all alone. Baldroy, the only survivor, had superb combat abilities and an animal instinct that evades any trap. That was who Baldroy was. That is who Baldroy is._

* * *

Pluto was running around, chasing the assassins down with his fire breath and he managed to burn some of the motherfuckers in the ass. They all tried to run away from the demon hound, but not all were lucky since they were overpowered by a hound literally from hell. Meanwhile, Finny ran upstairs of the mini fort where they held weapons that only he could operate with his incredible strengths. However, before he did anything, he enjoyed the sun's rays and the clear blue sky and as he picked up the logs that he was going to use to either scare the assassins away or crush them to death if they weren't lucky, not forgetting for a second to smile.

* * *

 _Finnian, the gardener of the Phantomhive estate, was the third to be offered a job. Finnian, the innocent, but overly strong boy, is the biggest sweetheart anyone could ever meet. Finnian, the person that wouldn't harm a soul, was a victim of human testing for an illegal drug that gave him superhuman strength, but managed to escape. Finnian, the poor victim, had only bird as his friends and only dreamed of going outside. That was who Finnian was. That is who Finnian is._

* * *

Despite the vicious attacks, some still decided to fight on, but a few noticed that one of the maids was staring at nothing above some of the dead bodies of the assassins that she dragged away from the servant's sights. "Look, they have their little clean-up girl while the others do all the hard work. Why don't we just put her out of her misery," one assassin said as he fired his gun toward Lilliana and shot her five times: four in the chest and one in the back of her head. They all laughed, thinking they finally got one of the servants, but when she got up, as if she was unharmed, they all looked mortified.

She coughed up the bloody bullets from inside her body and showed them toward the men. "I was just doing my fucking job! Can't a Grim Reaper just collect souls in peace?" With shaky hands, they tried to shoot her again, but this time, she pulled out her Death Scythe and blocked each attack. As she got menacingly closer to them, they could see the red in her eyes and the quickly-healing wounds and started running for their lives.

"What _are_ the servants of this house?!"

"If we couldn't do this much for our young master, then what kind of Phantomhive servants would we be?"

As they finished cleaning up the mess they made outside, or at least, that's what Lilliana said she was doing, Tanaka welcomed them in the manor as he said, "Thank you all as always for your hard work." They all waited downstairs in their usual line as they waited for Ciel, Lizzie, and Sebastian to descend the stairs, but they didn't have time to clean up, so their clothes were dirty and Lilliana had a bit of blood on her, but not enough to make her eyes red. Soon, the trio came down the stairs, but Ciel stopped in his tracks when he saw how dirty they looked, but they all had happy expressions on their faces. He couldn't help, but laugh at them.

"You all look wretched. Go change your clothes at once," he said in a slightly playful tone, something they haven't heard ever.

"Yes, my lord," they all said in an overjoyed tone. They were so happy to make their young master smile, even if he was making fun of them. Lilliana went into her room and quickly changed into her Reaper uniform. It was about time she headed for work, but she couldn't help, but look at herself in the mirror. She let her hair down from the bun and watched as it fell to her shoulder and her face. She looked at the two devil markings on her and thought about the men that put them on her. The man she loved with all her heart put the more painful mark on her on such a taboo area, especially for a man who didn't want his little sister defiled, but the man that she didn't really care about other than for a good time placed the mark on her lower back and it was very pleasurable. It was interesting to think about, but she put the shirt on her before Sebastian could barge in, hoping for some sex before she left.

* * *

 _Lilliana Kiliamo, the head maid of the Phantomhive estate, was the last to be offered a job. Lilliana, the unique character, is a Rogue Reaper who possesses some demonic traits. Lilliana, the Grim Reaper, stalked the young master before working at the manor when she learned that the son of the two souls she collected returned to the estate with a devilish butler. Lilliana, the emotionless woman, fought the butler when she was caught and only lost because he managed to hit her with her own Death Scythe. Lilliana, the tortured girl who couldn't remember her past until now, impressed that devilish butler with her ability to almost match his own strength and skill and was offered a job. Lilliana, the woman who had an overprotective brother, accepted the job since she wanted to feel part of a group that would actually care for her. Lilliana, the Reaper that finally found happiness, enjoyed working double shift, despite the lack of sleep that came with it. Lilliana, the deity that could not feel love, let alone understand it, managed to catch the attention of that devilish butler ever since that day. That was who Lilliana was. That is who Lilliana is. That is who Lilliana will always be._

* * *

Lilliana managed to come to the trial on time for once, which impressed William, since she was always late to her shift. Not a lot of Grim Reapers were present to this trial; only the Head Reapers, Will, Grell, and Lilliana were there, but there was a reason why Lilliana was there. After all, her brother is the person she made the deal with. Grell was only there for emotional support.

As the trial proceeded, Katia couldn't help, but feel like she was going to be terminated for her crime. It was bad enough that she didn't kill her target, but she also made a deal with him. The only people that could get away with that was Lilliana and Grell, but he never really made a deal with Bastille, or at least, that's what he told them. Even he knew how bad it would be for him if they found out about that. Lilliana felt bad for Katia through this stressful time, but she was also angry that she was a demon hunter sent to kill Bastille and Sebastian, both who did nothing wrong. Bastille would have told her if he devoured a soul while he was here, but he hasn't said anything.

"Now, Katia Vendoa, before we decide on your punishment, is there something you would like to add," one Head Reaper said to the poor girl.

She was quiet at first, but said softly, "I just want to say that I did this . . . because I didn't want to see someone I love get hurt."

"Someone you love? Grim Reapers can't feel love," another said in a mocking tone. "American girls; what more can you say?"

"Well, then I don't know how else I describe how I feel for her!"

"Her? Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Lilliana Kiliamo," she blurted, but quickly covered her mouth. They all whispered to each other in shocked and confused tones, but the audience was quiet. Will and Grell didn't say anything and Lilliana was too shocked to make a comment. Katia . . . loves her? That's why she made the deal? She tried to kill Sebastian . . . to get closer to her? Is that what happened?

After a while of deliberating, one Head Reaper said, "All right, we are sentencing you to intense rehabilitation for an entire year. You will report to a rehabilitation room immediately, understand, Miss Vendoa?"

"Y-Yes sir," she said with a defeated tone. They dragged her away from the trial and straight into the colorless rooms that she could already tell we're going to make her crazy. They locked the door and once she knew she was alone, she started to cry. This day couldn't get any worse for her.

"When you said 'her', I thought you were talking about Grell. I would have never guessed it was me," Lilliana said outside the room. Katia wiped her tears as she saw those olive green eyes peering through the bars of the window.

"You heard that, didn't you," she said in a weak voice.

"I heard everything. You were hired to kill my brother, after all." Katia soon heard the door open and Lilliana came in with the keys in her hand.

"You're not supposed to do that! What if they catch you," she said frantically.

"I've been in a white room just like this for fifty years. I memorized their schedules and based on your behavior, they don't really need to check on you that often."

"Oh, that's right. You know, I had to read your file too when they assigned me this job. I didn't think that meeting you in person would stir up so many feelings inside me. I never felt like this for anyone. I was happy to be your friend, but I wanted something much more. Right now, I bet you hate me."

"No, I don't," Lilliana said in a surprisingly gentle tone as she got closer to a confused Katia. "You could have killed my brother. You had many chances to, but instead, you let him live for me. Most Grim Reapers I know would never care about how I would feel if my brother was killed since they believe he is an evil to this world, but he's not. You sacrificed your reputation for my happiness and I can't thank you enough for that and as a reward, I'll give you this," she said before kissing her. It wasn't as deep or tongue-filled like she would for Sebastian, but it was enough for Katia. Once their lips parted, Katia was left in total shock. What could she do? The woman she loved actually kissed her; something she only dreamed about. "I hope they aren't too harsh on you. You're a kind-hearted person." She proceeded to leave the room, but not before Katia hugged her from the back.

"Thank you so much! You don't know how much you've done for me already. When I thought I was going to be alone, you have been my friend. I mean, Grell is a friend to me too, but she wasn't as kind as you. I just hope you realize who really does care for you and who is just using you."

"I'll try," Lilliana said before she walked out of the room and locked the door.


	20. A Contract in Dissolution & Up in Flames

"Finny, carry this stuff," Baldroy said as he carried luggage to the carriage waiting outside.

"Sure," Finny said as he ran to pick up the next set of heavy luggage.

"Let's see . . . the young master's underclothes . . . ," Mey-Rin said to herself as she went to carry a suitcase.

"Tanaka, how is it coming along," Ciel asked.

"My lord, it's all been carried out according to your orders, thanks to Ms. Kiliamo's help," he said with a bow.

"Young master, I've reserved our lodgings," Sebastian said to his master.

"Good."

"Young master, I was wondering; where exactly are you three going on this trip," Finny asked, but was soon hit in the head by Baldroy.

"You've been packing all this time without even knowing?!"

"Sebastian, Lilliana, and I are going to Paris," he said simply. He read in the papers that it was the one hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution and to celebrate, they are unveiling a massive tower that they are calling the Eiffel Tower to the World's Fair. Usually, he wouldn't care about these things, but he also heard that the Queen is going in secret to see the new landmark.

Soon, the trio traveled into the carriage and onto the next boat to Paris, but after everything that happened with Lau and Abberline, Ciel couldn't help, but feel distrust to the person he swore loyalty to for his entire life. "The Queen arrived to Paris three days ago and should be viewing the Exposition now. I'm sure the hotel will be heavily guarded, so . . . ," Lilliana said as she watched the sea, but noticed Ciel wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. "Young master."

"Hm, what," he said.

"Your mind is somewhere else, isn't it," Sebastian asked.

"Lau said the Queen was 'trying to plunge the world into war'."

"Is that why you desire an audience with her?"

"No."

"Was your heart moved by Abberline's death, then?"

"No, this is because they were all my pawns since the very beginning, but that pawn ignored my orders and just kept sticking his nose in. The same goes for Lau. Without a grasp of your pawns' motives and strategies, you can't play the game. That's all."

After a while, Ciel's eyes, or eye really, stared to droop and Sebastian was about to take him to the stateroom to rest, but Lilliana stopped him. "You know, I've never been this far away from London for a long time. It's nice to see the sea and I have someone to enjoy it with," she said as she grabbed his arm. "Even when I was with my brother, we only stayed in France. In a way, I'll be returning home."

"Maybe we should visit your hometown and see where you've come from," he said with a smile, but hers soon faded.

"I don't see any point in it. I remember them being very unforgiving and if you committed a big enough crime or scandal, they would run you out of town. Besides, everyone that I cared about is dead already and so are the ones that exiled my brother and me."

"A fitting end for them, I presume?"

"I guess so. Death is inevitable for everyone," she said as she looked at the sea again. This was the first time she was surrounded by the sea and it was somewhat . . . liberating. If only she could share this wonderful sight with her brother. "Bastille isn't a bad guy," she said suddenly. "He is just overprotective and now I know why. I just hope he can see that you aren't a bad guy either."

"It will be hard to convince him that. He believes that I have defiled you already."

"That's why I'm trying to convince him that you haven't, but he won't believe me. He still sees me as Lily Kilia instead of Lilliana Kiliamo. I've learned to defend myself, but he still sees me as the defenseless girl who can't fight back."

"I'm sure if anyone can convince him, it will be you."

"I hope so."

* * *

The trio finally arrived to Paris and they were in awe by the different shows and exhibits that surrounded them, or at least, Sebastian and Lilliana were. Ciel had other things on his mind, especially when he stood in front of the Eiffel Tower. "This is quite the occasion, my lord. We don't see an Expo every day," Lilliana said as she admired the unique tower. "Shall we look around a bit more? It might give you ideas for new products."

"Did you hear? They say there's a stuffed angel at the Palace of Wonders," a man said to his friends as they passed the trio, but their conversation seemed to catch their attention.

"Did they say a 'stuffed angel'," Ciel asked.

"I'm afraid so," Sebastian said as they walked to where the angel was exhibited, but when they got a closer look at the "angel", they were all relieved and disappointed. It was just an albino monkey with wings, presumably sewed on after they stuffed it. Only an idiot could believe that it was a true angel, especially when it had a menacing look on its face.

"What, it's just a monkey? What a bore. Let's be on our way," Ciel said as they were about to leave, but soon, they heard screaming followed by glass shattering. When they turned around, they couldn't believe their eyes: the monkey angel had come to life and was spreading havoc. It tried to strike Ciel, but Sebastian pushed him out of the way. "What is this," he said frantically. The monkey started to strike all of the light bulbs so that the room was enveloped by darkness, scaring everyone, except for the people who lived in darkness all their lives.

"Calm yourself, young master," Sebastian said to his frantic master. "You lived in the darkness. A little dimness shouldn't scare you in the least. Please, you and Lilliana should evacuate and leave this situation to me."

"But-,"

"You heard what he said, young master. Let's go," she said as she pulled Ciel by his collar. He was reluctant, but he soon followed her and ran to the nearest exist through the sea of darkness and frantic people. Eventually, the two arrived outside, where it was very bright with the sun.

"It's so bright," he said as he covered his eyes with his hand. However, as they looked around, they saw a familiar face: Angela staring at a fountain. Lilliana's eyes turned red with hatred, but he held her back as he said, "It wouldn't be wise to announce our presence to that angel. We need to hide from her."

"Yes, my lord," she said as the two started running away from the fountain to where they thought that no one would find them. They ran toward the Eiffel Tower, up the stairs, and into a vacant elevator. The two caught their breaths at the close call, but they were shocked to know that they were not alone in the elevator.

"Goodness gracious, you're in a hurry, aren't you," a young feminine voice said. They both looked in the direction of the voice and saw the Queen in her black veil that covered her face and dress looking out of the window. That voice sounded awfully young for an old woman like her.

"You're -," Ciel tried to say, but he was too shocked to finish his sentence.

"Ciel, it's been a long time. Lilliana, it's nice to meet you."

"How do you know my-," she said, but the elevator started to move toward the top of the Eiffel Tower.

"Look at the view from up here. As we face the next century, Europe is on the verge of change. However, there's uncleanliness over there and there and _there_ ," she said as she pointed to Ciel and Lilliana. "The entire slate must be wiped clean. There can be no creation without destruction. In order for the new century to be pure, I cleansed the house that has taken on all that is negative in our nation: the house of Phantomhive." They looked at her with shock. She killed Ciel's parents; the one person that he pledged his somewhat loyalty to caused the very thing that forced him into darkness?

Soon, the elevator stopped moving and the three of them walked out to walk the rest of the way to the top. "London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady," she sang all the way as they reached the top. It was that same haunting tune that Drossel sang when he kidnapped Lizzie, which gave further proof that she was the one who killed Ciel's parents.

"Might I ask you something," Lilliana asked.

"What is it?"

"You didn't just kill them; you made it beastly. I would know since I collected their souls, or at least, their malformed ones. Why would you do that?" Ciel looked at her with shock, but didn't say anything. What could he say at this point? First of all, she was casually stating her deity status to a human. Second, _she_ was the one that collected their souls?

"Mind your language, Reaper. I _cleansed_ them."

"That's what you call 'cleansing': demeaning the dead," Ciel asked in anger.

"Demeaning? I merely wanted to pay what tribute I could to the Phantomhives after they showed me such loyalty," she said with almost regret in her voice, but it didn't matter when a gust of wind blew off her veil, revealing long gray hair and even more shocking, a young-looking face.

"What the f-," Lilliana tried to say, but was interrupted by a chuckle from behind them.

"Surprised? She's all, but aglow with youth, isn't she," Ash said as he approached them. "The loss of her beloved husband ended Her Majesty's days of happiness. In her grief over his death, she once tried to end her own life. I joined his body with her own, so that she might live with the man she loved forever."

"I can tell that my husband is pleased with my work. His body twinges inside me. It's the throbbing of life. The joy of truly becoming one with the one you love is wonderful. I felt that if I gave the Phantomhives that same joy, it would not be a ghastly death at all. Surely you must agree," the Queen said.

"The Queen and her husband firmly intend to guide England to a world of perfect light. That aim has purged them of their own impurities, transforming Her Majesty into the young girl you see before you. What a lofty aim! She is a worthy master for an angel."

"Angel? Don't tell me you're-," Ciel said.

"Ash, at least let Ciel fall to your blade. His blade is a thing of beauty. It goes forth as the brightness of the new century," the Queen said.

"I shall draw my sword against the beauty of thy wisdom and I shall punish the beast within thee. I shall bring thee down to the pit," Ash said as he pulled out his sword and positioned it for an attack. "May an immaculate heaven greet thee, Ciel Phantomhive." He then ran forward to strike him, but luckily, Sebastian arrived just in time to push his master out of harm's way while Lilliana redirected the attack with her Death Scythe.

"Your precious sword is meaningless if you can't land a blow," she said with a smirk.

"How does it feel to remember, Lily? All those years of ungratefulness to what your brother has done for you suddenly have purpose, don't they," Ash said with that same smirk.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up," Lilliana yelled angrily as she started to attack the angel viciously.

"This may be the end, my young master. What are your orders," Sebastian said.

"Kill Ash," Ciel said.

"Will that be all, my lord?"

Ciel was reluctant, but said, "Kill the Queen."

"Very good," Sebastian said as he threw knives and forks toward the frightened Queen, but Ash blocked the attack in time with his sword. The three deities jumped into the air and began fighting each other with their own weapons. Somehow, Ash was able to fight back against the two, which made her even angrier. Soon, they were destroying parts of the Eiffel Tower, causing debris to fall to the people below.

"How dreadful! Ciel, please stop him," the Queen begged.

Ciel started to notice the commotion they were making and yelled, "Sebastian, Lilliana, stop!"

"But why," Sebastian said as he retreated, but Lilliana didn't let up for a second. She wanted to see this angel dead.

"We've attracted attention. At this rate, the commotion will only get bigger."

"Why should we bother about them, my lord? They're only humans, after all."

"No, we're withdrawing," Ciel yelled, but received confused and angry looks from both Sebastian and Lilliana, who finally stopped fighting when she heard those words. Soon, Ash sprouted angel wings and carried the Queen away from danger and presumably back to London.

The carriage ride back to the hotel was a very awkward one. For starters, neither one of them talked on their way to the carriage; not until they were a good distance away from the crowd gathering around the Eiffel Tower did Sebastian say, "Master, why did you stop us?"

"I told you: we would have attracted too much attention. That's all," Ciel said.

"You know we almost had them, right? In the end, an angel is no match for a demon and a Grim Reaper," Lilliana said, still with red in her eyes. She was pissed; not only did Ash escape, but Ciel allowed him to escape.

"What are you trying to say," Ciel asked them.

"You told me that what you wanted was vengeance against the ones who dragged you into hell. Did that vow you swore that day mean nothing? I thought you had no doubts that day. Will you still swear loyalty to the Queen, even after learning the truth," Sebastian asked.

"I never felt any scrap of loyalty to her to begin with. I merely acted as the head of the Phantomhives," Ciel said as he looked out the window.

"You've decided to value your soul, then?"

"What would I want with my soul? You two are being tedious. Do you honestly think-," Ciel tried to say, but when he looked in their direction, he received cold glares from the two deities. He had to admit that he was scared to see those glares from them. The only people who usually received those glares were people that were about to be killed by them.

Soon, Sebastian looked away as he coldly said, "You seem a bit tired, my lord. Please, return to your room and rest."

* * *

Soon, night fell, but before Sebastian cared for Ciel, he walked into the room he shared with Lilliana. He didn't tell Ciel that there were only two bedrooms in this hotel when there should be three, but there wasn't any point. He didn't ask and he seemed to be more tolerant toward her after what happened at the abbey. She was in her Reaper uniform, but for once, she didn't have to work. She asked for some time off while she was with them at Paris and Will was surprisingly fine with it. Well, he wasn't thrilled, but he could have just flat out said no. She only wore the outfit since she didn't want to be stuck in a dress throughout the entire time they were here. She was looking out a window toward the Eiffel Tower, which was some distance away from where they were staying at. "I can't believe he just . . . stopped us," she said, still looking through the window.

"I'm still uncertain why he would do such a thing, but if he insists on acting like this, I'm afraid that I have no master to serve," he said as he closed the door behind him.

She looked at him as she asked, "How come? The mark is still on your hand . . . and my lower back."

"What is the point of serving a master that won't follow through with his contract," he said as he got closer to her. "Would you?"

"I see your point, but I've never made a deal with anyone to know what that feels like. Even Bastille didn't make that many deals other than the one . . . that sacrificed his humanity," she said in a regretful tone, but he soon hugged her from behind, surprising her.

"Let's not think about those dark times. Why don't we have a little fun before Ciel calls for me," he said before moving her hair over and kissing her neck.

"A-Are you sure," she said in between moans.

"I'm sure your body is craving some attention recently," he whispered in her ear, making her shudder.

"Well, we haven't done anything for a while," she said before turning around and kissing him. The first one was quick, but it soon turned passionate as they fell on the bed. He then turned her around so her face was facing the bed and lifted her shirt up so he could see the mark he left on her. He started to kiss and lick it, which made her moan quietly while she bit her lip, but it ended abruptly.

"Dammit, young master," he said under his breath.

"He calls you now? Fuck," she said as she turned her head to face him.

He soon got up from the bed, straightened his hair and clothing, and started to leave the room, but not before saying, "I will return. Just wait a little longer."

"Fine," she said as she sat up on the bed with a disappointed face. He then closed the door and she just stared at the door. She missed his body. It felt so good to have him inside her. It was always great to feel his hot breath on her skin. It was so comforting to have him next to her when she fell asleep. If felt so good to know he was there when she was at her worse. She missed . . . him.

After a while, she heard a knock on the door, which she found a little odd since he would just open the door, especially at a moment like this, but she got off the bed and opened the door. However, as the door opened, there was no one on the other side. She even looked further down the hallway, but didn't see anyone. "Sebastian," she called as she walked out of the room, but received no reply. She tried to walk down to Ciel's bedroom, hoping to see if he was still there, but before she could, she felt a hand cover her mouth, but it wasn't Sebastian's.

"I knew you were going to defile yourself for that demon," Ash said quietly as he walked past her and the mystery person holding her back. They dragged her to the room she was just in and Ash closed the door. "And to think your brother worked so hard to protect you. Even now, you don't care for your brother and you now know what he did for you. Well, soon, it will be something you won't have to worry about ever again. Bastille, you know what to do." Her eyes widened in shock by the name she heard, but before she could do anything, his hand glowed from scarred mark and she felt that same sharp pain in her chest. Soon, she couldn't bear the pain and fainted in his arms.

"What do you mean 'you now know what he did for you'," Bastille asked as he carried Lilliana in a way that would be comfortable for her.

"Don't worry about it. You want to free her from the Reaper Association, don't you?"

"Yes I do, but I have to know what you meant! I'm not leaving until you tell me."

Ash sighed as he said, "Ok, fine, but not here. I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

"I want to show you the village where you and Lily grew up in."

* * *

The next morning, Ciel woke up to the sunshine through the window, but something was wrong. He woke up . . . by himself and not by Sebastian. Not even Lilliana came in to wake him up. What the hell was going on? "Sebastian," Ciel called, but relieved no reply. "Sebastian!" Still nothing. "Lilliana!" Nothing. He got up from bed and started to look in the entire suite, but couldn't find either of them anywhere. "Where are you two? Can't you hear me?"

He then walked into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He checked his right eye and it still had the mark of the covenant, which meant the contract was still in effect, but where the hell is he? Did he have to do something? No, he would have stopped what he was doing when ordered to. Did Lilliana have anything to do about this? Possibly, but he wouldn't sacrifice their contract for her. Did he leave because of what happened on the Eiffel Tower? He did look upset about his decision to spare Ash and the Queen momentarily. Still, he knew one thing: he had to get to London as soon as possible.

* * *

"I thought you said we were going to my home village? What the hell is this," Bastille said as they walked to a place of ruin and ashes.

"This _is_ your village. It was burned down a hundred years ago after a century long battle of demon and witch hunts," Ash said.

"Demon and witch hunts? Why the hell would they do that?"

"Well, after you and your sister devoured that priest's soul, the whole village was in a frantic. They first blamed demons because of the viciousness of the attack, but they soon thought that witches were conjuring the demons to do their bidding. They put innocent people to death, but ironically, a child who lost her mother sacrificed her soul to a demon so that she could get her revenge and a demon burned down the village. You didn't know that?"

"No, we weren't here at the time. After that, we traveled far away from this village. I didn't want anyone to recognize us or trigger her memory of what happened."

"Well, it's a little too late for that."

"What do you mean," he asked suspiciously.

"In order for her to be free, she had to remember everything-,"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Why the fuck would you do that," Bastille said as he grabbed Ash's collar in anger. "I spent my entire life to make sure she didn't remember that! I sacrificed my humanity so she could finally be happy and you gave her back that painful experience?!"

"She has to remember so I can change her past. Soon, that memory that made her the being she is today will be forever gone and replaced with good memories," he tried to say calmly. "But I also have a mission from the Queen to cleanse London that I need to attend to."

"What is this 'cleansing' you keep talking about? That's all you've been saying ever since I agreed to work with you, or with Angela really, but regardless. You never told me what your plan was."

"That's because I didn't fully trust you then, but seeing your consistent devotion toward your sister has changed my mind. I will tell you everything, but you have to trust that I will do whatever I can for her, all right?"

Bastille sighed, but said, "Fine."

* * *

Ciel was having a shitty day without Sebastian by his side. He had a very hard time doing anything in his own, including putting in his own clothes, but his torture didn't stop there. He was scammed out of his own money when he paid a man to take him to a port, but was taken some distance away from the nearest port. He was exhausted, but he had to endure this all day! This was nothing like he was used to at all, but all he could think of was where the hell was Sebastian? And for that matter, where the hell was Lilliana? He knew she wasn't under contract, but she was at his side even if Sebastian wasn't, or that is, when she wasn't helping him. Those two seemed to be inseparable when she was hired, but it wasn't until he learned she was a Grim Reaper did they seem to separate, even though she probably didn't want to in the first place. He always had a theory that he was sleeping with her, but he soon caught on that he wasn't using her; he actually probably enjoyed it. He had his own toy to play with.

Ciel finally made it to the port, but had to sneak onto a ship since he didn't have any money to pay for a ticket. He hid in the cargo hold and once in a while, the crew would come to check on several things, but he remained hidden so he wouldn't be caught. The sailors discussed trivial things, like the strong wind and the unusually hot weather. However, despite Ciel's best efforts, one person managed to find him and he had that same creepy smile he saw every time he entered his parlor. "Found you, my lord," Undertaker said.

"Undertaker," Ciel said in shock. Out of all the people that could find him, he would have never suspected it would be him. However, he was nice enough to offer the hungry child his biscuits and Ciel was desperate enough to eat anything at this point. "What are you doing here," Ciel asked in between bites.

"See, that fussy bloke William captured me and wanted me to fetch Lilliana. Apparently, he'll be shorthanded in the London area, so he roped me into this by promising to waive my library fines."

"The London area?"

"Yes, there is much work to do; a great number of souls will be collect in London this evening."

"And Lilliana isn't with you?"

"No, but I am surprised that your butler isn't with you either. Did you send him on a mission?"

"No, I didn't and that's what's worrying me," Ciel said, but was soon interrupted by frantic voices on deck.

"Ah, so it's begun," Undertaker said with glee. The two of them ran to the deck and witnesses a horrific sight: London surrounded by fiery light. "They certainly put on quite the show and now I must be on my way."

"Wait! Why did you come here?"

"You and I have a lot of history together, so I thought I'd give you fair warning. My young earl, in just a little while, you will die."

Ciel looked at him in shock. "What do you mean?" However, his question wasn't answered as he heard people crying about their hometown being burned to the ground. He looked their way and saw all the distraught faces, but when he turned back to talk to Undertaker, he vanished.

* * *

The cleansing process had begun when Ash took over Pluto's mind and started using his fire breath to burn down all of London, starting with the manor and then to the main streets of the city. Apparently, Ash was no longer doing this for the Queen since she was . . . in lack of a better term, unclean. Bastille made sure his unconscious sister was cared for since they came back, but he couldn't help, but be angry at Ash for allowing her to remember what that wicked priest did to her. How can that release her from the chains of the Reaper Association? What made things worse was that since the fire claimed many lives, there were a lot of Grim Reapers walking around and he noticed one in particular. "I still can't believe that Grell is a guy."

On the top of the building, Ash looked down as his master plan unfolded before him, but he didn't share this experience alone. "There he is. So, the boy made his way back to London. Most impressive. Well, what do you think of the view?" However, his guest was quiet. "You don't have anything to say about this?"

"Compared to the Great Fire of London in 1666, this blaze seems very slow-spreading," Sebastian said.

"You're right. Once uncleanliness and vice take hold, it's extremely difficult to do away with them. However, when this fire burns everything away, the long-awaited door will appear on the clean land! I shall open the door to the new century." The two looked down as they saw Ciel and the servants debating on what to do with Pluto, who, at this point, was past saving. "Ironic, isn't it? You battled me for your master's sake and who would have predicted that you'd be standing here with me now, watching his tragedy play out?"

"I do not act without an order from my master and at the moment, there is no master I'm meant to obey."

"I've thought to myself: I wouldn't mind joining forces with you to rule the newborn world that will dwell in this clean land though the flames of purity."

"Aren't I a wellspring of the very uncleanliness you detest? Besides, I thought Bastille was your demon partner-in-crime."

"No, he's not. I just have a little deal that I agreed on. When you examine them closely, all things emit their own intense light. If those things are well-burnished and made one, they return to their primal forms, beloved of His Holiness."

"So, you want me to be one of those vulgar patchwork dolls you're so fond of?"

"No, but is there something else you want? If you wish it, I can embrace you as a woman," Ash said as two voices seemed to come out of the same mouth, trying to tempt him by showing Sebastian with his feminine chest.

"Don't be ridiculous. Besides, if I wanted to roam your new world, I wouldn't want it to be with you."

"Ah, yes. I bet you prefer that abomination, right? Bastille, bring her here," Ash said, covering himself. Soon, Bastille climbed up to the roof with Lilliana in his arms, but once he saw Sebastian, his anger showed.

"What the fuck is this? Why is he here," Bastille asked in an angry tone, but Ash soon took her out of his arms. "Are you finally going to tell me why she's so damn important to your plan?"

"This abomination needs to be cleansed. In order for me to do that, I have to make her remember her human life when she was pure and change her traumatic experience into something that she wouldn't denounce her faith. When she is once again pure, she will become an angel."

"An angel," the two demons repeated in confusion as they saw him sprout his wings and fly them into the air.

"If she were a normal Reaper, I wouldn't have considered helping you, but this creature was tainted more by the foul touch of demons. She is a disgrace even to her own kind and it is my job to clean her and make her into an immaculate angel."

"If that happens, she will have no intention of keeping our relationship! Angels and demons hate each other! Even if she does see me as a brother, your bullshit pride will keep us apart and we will never be allowed to see each other again," Bastille said angrily.

"You honestly think that I would care for how a demon feels? I needed your mark so you could make her more . . . workable and in return, I would free her from the Reaper Association. Once she becomes an angel, she will side with me with my plan to cleanse the world!"

"No, I won't allow this," he said as he pulled out his demon sword and swung it toward him, but Ash pulled out his sword and blocked the attack. Ash was forced to let her go and she would have fallen to the ground, but luckily, Sebastian caught her in time. He used his mark on her to wake her up and she seemed to be shocked by what was going on.

"Sebastian," she said weakly.

"I'm glad to see that you are all right," he said with a smile on his face.

"What the hell is going on," she said, but soon heard clanking of metal. Sebastian helped her up and she saw many things: smoke from the burning city, ashes everywhere, and the fight between demon and angel. Bastille looked her way and saw she was okay, but before he could talk to her, he was stabbed in the chest by Ash's sword. Unfortunately for him, an angel's sword has the same power as a demon sword, which meant only one thing. Lilliana shouted in fear as she hurriedly ran to him.

"We could have prevented this if you just let me cleansed her. I guess I've failed at that task, but there's much more work to do," Ash said as he flew away.

Lilliana held her dying brother in her arms as she asked, "Why would you do such a stupid thing?! You know that angels are manipulative creatures."

"I did it . . . so I could have . . . my little sister back. It must have been . . . miserable . . . being a Grim Reaper . . . especially one . . . that was in a way . . . half demon," he said weakly.

"You didn't need to do that! We could have been a family! You are my family," she said with tears forming in her eyes and then falling down her cheek.

"I know . . . but I was still the foolish one . . . who thought an angel . . . could help you, but I was wrong. I was wrong about everything. . . . You have matured so much since that day . . . and Sebastian can't be any worse . . . than . . . that," he said as he seemed to fade away.

"No, you have to say with me! I can't lose you!"

"It's fine. You have lived decades . . . without me. You'll be fine . . . even with Sebastian by your side. Sebastian . . . promise me that you will . . . protect my little sister for me . . . while I'm gone."

"I promise," he said and with those words, Bastille closed his eyes for the last time and died. Lilliana held him close to her as she couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

However, the tears of loss soon turned to hate as she said, "That fucking bastard stole the one thing from me that I valued most. He made a deal to my brother and it cost him his very own life. I would like him to endure the same tragedy!"

* * *

"I am Ciel, Earl Phantomhive," he said as the Queen's guards surrounded him. He tried to confront the Queen one final time, hoping to end all of this, but he was shocked to see that she was already dead from her husband's dead skin. Soon, he was caught and now he was in this predicament, everyone thinks he killed the Queen.

"Phantomhive? So, the Queen's guard dog has turned against her?"

"I've cast off that title and I'm not the one who killed Her Majesty."

"Do you think you can talk your way out of this?"

"No, probably not, but no matter what you do, I will not be stopped now," Ciel said before he was shot in his side. He soon succumbed to the pain and fell to the ground, but as his blood started to form a pool around him, he pulled off his eye patch and said, "No! I . . . won't end here! Not like this!"

"I see you've awaken, young master," that low voice said, but Ciel couldn't figure out from where. However, he smiled at the thought of who it was.

"Fire!" Soon, multiple men shot their guns toward him, but he wouldn't feel them. As he opened his eyes, he saw two miracles: Sebastian, who had bullets in between his fingers, and Lilliana, who had her Death Scythe out and a deep shade of red in her eyes.

"You're quite right, young master. You won't end here," Lilliana said before Sebastian threw the bullets towards the guards, killing them on impact.

"I humbly apologize for taking unauthorized leave," Sebastian said.

"What was so important," Ciel said angrily as he compressed his wound.

"Oh, I was preparing for the Last Supper. Using a variety of spices to mature the flavor and thanks to you, I believe I'll be able to enjoy the ultimate soul."

"This is an order: take me to that angel of massacre!"

"Certainly," Lilliana and Sebastian said as he carried their young master away from the Palace and to the angel who deserved what was coming to him/her. Great; another deity whose gender was ambiguous.


	21. Fluent in His Goal

"Prepare yourself, young master," Sebastian said as he, Ciel, and Lilliana rowed a boat down the Thames River. As they traveled down the river, they saw the many bodies either brunt to a crisp or filled with black smoke, but Ciel noticed something off: she wasn't helping out. Usually, she would collect any souls she could find, but she wasn't doing anything. Then, he remembered something.

"Undertaker is looking for you," Ciel said.

"I can see why. They are going to need all the help they can get, but I'm afraid I'm not going to be any help for them," Lilliana said.

"Why?"

"I wouldn't be able to focus. I want to make sure that that angel is dead," she said with red eyes that were starting to form tears.

"What happened," Ciel said. The only other time he ever saw her cry was when she told them she was protecting her brother by being a "well-behaved" Grim Reaper.

"She too lost someone that was very precious to her and has vowed revenge. Dare I say, she would have sold what was left of her soul to avenge his death," Sebastian said.

"His death? So, that means . . . ," he tried to say, but didn't want to finish it. She was already unpredictable, so he didn't want to know how she would react with vengeance on her mind and grieving with a broken heart. "Where are we going?"

"Here in England, there'd are several bridges named 'Devil's Bridge', so called because legend has it they were made by demons. In contrast, the Tower Bridge is a holy bridge, which the angel most likely instructed Her Majesty to build." As they got a closer look to the bridge, they saw that the bridge looked unusual. They could see . . . faces or were they the souls of the people that died? Whatever the case, there were a lot of them.

"Human sacrifices?"

"Well, these aren't really their souls. They are made of the joys, agonies, and jealousies of the dead, what you'd call their hearts. Once the heart has slipped out of a soul, it can hardly be called a soul anymore. I doubt they can even be stored in our library," Lilliana said.

" _This_ is meant to be a 'holy bridge'?"

"Taken too far, saintliness is far beastlier than evil," Lilliana said.

Eventually, they arrived to the bridge and as Sebastian parked the boat, he said, "Please wait here, young master."

"I'm coming with you," Ciel said.

"Let me put this plainly: you would drag me down."

"In other words, you're no match for him if you're fettered down."

"I'm afraid that even Lilliana won't be able to protect you. Once the demon instincts kick in, only her own desires will be on her mind."

"I'll try to protect him. We can work together, Sebastian, like old times," she said.

Sebastian sighed as he said, "Very well then. You shall have the best view of the show, my lord." The three of them climbed the ladder leading to the top, looking at the poor unfortunate hearts that were right in front of them. This is what happens when an angel roams freely and those fools hired Katia to kill _Bastille_? Look who has done more evil.

As they arrived to the top, they could hear Ash say to himself, "Ah, at last, the great and notable day of His Holiness cometh! The signs shall be blood and fire and vapor of smoke. Isn't that right, demon and Grim Reaper?"

"Why did you kill the Queen," Ciel asked.

"Her clouded fish-eyes should have been fixed in the future, but they were held captive by the past and they dulled and rotted. There was nothing for me to do, but cleanse her."

"This seat is a bit uncomfortable, but I believe it has the best view in the house. Now, your orders, my lord," Sebastian said as he set him safely away from the battle that was soon to come.

Ciel threw off his eye patch and said, "Kill him. Kill the angel now!"

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian and Lilliana said with pleasure.

"When this bridge is completed, it will seal eastern London form uncleanliness. As an angel, I have no choice, but to purge any demons and Grim Reapers who alight upon this gate. Purge them into pure-white beings: without strain, without heart, and without life," Ash said as he drew his sword. The three of them began to fight with all their might; Sebastian with his silverware and Lilliana with her Death Scythe, but as they landed back to the bridge, Sebastian and Lilliana were being held back by the black mist on the bridge.

"What the hell," she said she tried to break free, but she couldn't even manage to swing her Death Scythe toward the black mist.

"This mist . . . it feels wonderful. They're so warm and clammy, nicer to the touch than the finest furs," Ash/Angela said.

"An angel clothed in uncleanliness? How the mighty have fallen," Sebastian said.

"The pleasures of uncleanliness are unpleasant and unbearable to me. However, the despair of uncleanliness gives me power. I grow stronger by the moment, but what to do with you? I still haven't given up on you, you know."

"I don't go in for women who fornicate with dogs."

"If you won't embrace me, a woman, I will stay in this man's form, as the Sun, and sink my shaft into you all the way to the hilt, penetrating the very depth of your dark heart."

"Your taste really couldn't get any worse," Lilliana said, but suddenly, a light shined in the middle of the darkness, causing the two of them to look away.

"The Final Judgment is now approaching. Hear me: your chests shall be the sheath of my sword," Ash said as he cut off Sebastian's arm, spilling his blood everywhere. Lilliana and Ciel looked in shock by what just happened, but Sebastian seemed to be unaffected by it, despite how much he was screaming on the inside. "Demon, this pain is a blessing; supreme pleasure can only be enjoyed if one has endured searing pain."

"Sebastian, Lilliana," Ciel yelled. They looked toward the voice and only Sebastian knew what was to come. The game wasn't over yet.

"How dare you take your eyes off me in the midst of our glorious battle? You spoil my mood. Who do you think you are," Ash/Angela asked, but soon, they noticed that the black midst around them was disappearing around them. "What is going on?!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm relieved that Grim Reapers interfered," Lilliana said as she started to cut the remaining black mist around them with her Death Scythe.

"You blasted Reapers dare to interfere with this noble and sacred ceremony?!"

"What a pity. It doesn't look as though we'll be able to greet your 'purity'. Shall I make my counterattack," Sebastian asked with his usual evil smirk.

"I'd hope to have more fun with you, but there's no help for it," Ash/Angela said before whistling. However, after a while, he noticed something was wrong. "Where is that infernal demon hound?!"

"They did it," Ciel said. Earlier, he told the servants that they had to stop Pluto at any cost, even if they had to kill him. Apparently, there was no other choice.

"Useless . . . they are all useless. I must purify them all! Taste the flames of Hell," Ash/Angela yelled before shooting deadly fast feathers toward them, trying to kill everyone around him/her, but luckily, Sebastian was able to save his young master from the attack. However, Ciel finally noticed that his and Lilliana's backs were impaled by the feathers, but they seemed fine, or at least, he assumed.

"Young master, I'd like to ask a favor. Please close your eyes," Sebastian said.

"But why," Ciel asked, but was silenced.

"I am your butler. I cannot damage my master's impression of me by looking unsightly. Please don't open your eyes until I say to."

"All right," Ciel said before closing his eyes. Lilliana stayed by his side and made sure to cover his eyes in case he wanted to take a peak.

"Now then; at last, I can show you all my true self," Sebastian said with his demon eyes glowing. "My unsightly, disgusting, repulsive true form." Soon, he started changing into his true form, black crow feathers flowing everywhere, which scared Ash shitless, but amazed Lilliana. So that's what he looks like out of his human form. . . . It's kind of hot. However, as he started to fight with Ash again, he caused quite some damage, which forced both Ciel and Lilliana to be thrown off a ledge of the broken bridge, but before they could fall, Ciel grabbed on to her hand while she managed to grab into a piece of debris with her Death Scythe, but as long as no further commotion happened, they should be able to stay there until they could get back on safely.

"Master, can you two hold on and survive long enough for me to count down from ten," Sebastian asked.

"Yes," Ciel said, despite the sharp pain on his side.

"Then here we go. Ten," he said as he started to slice the angel like a piece of meat. "Nine, eight, seven, six," he continued to slice that infernal creature despite its cries. A blend of black, white, and red filled the air. "Five, four, three, two, one." Soon, an explosion of white surrounded the city, which caused the black mist that still surrounded the bridge to disappear and everything seemed to be calm. Soon, they heard footsteps and Sebastian said, "It's over, young master." Ciel finally opened his eyes and saw that Sebastian looked like his human form and had a big smile in his face. Ciel smiled too, but he didn't have the strength to hold on to her hand and let go, scaring the two deities. As he fell to the river below, they could see his Cinematic Record, which meant one thing.

The two of them dived into the waters to retrieve him. "You are a liar, young master. You promised him that you would live until he got to zero, but we won't let you die yet," she said before hitting the waters. Soon, Sebastian managed to bring him back to the surface while Lilliana tried desperately to make sure he was alive for a little longer.

* * *

Ciel woke up and found himself in a boat yet again, but he wasn't sure where he was. There seemed to be strong mist surrounding him, but he couldn't see anything else other than water. He looked at who was rowing the boat and saw Sebastian rowing with one arm, but his tuxedo seemed to be fixed. "You're awake, young master?"

"Where are we," he asked as he got up, but saw that two more people were in the boat, or at least one and a corpse.

"Do you want to know," Lilliana said as she held her brother in her arms. He could see that in her eyes, she just finished crying.

"That's why I asked . . . . On second though . . . I have a feeling I don't need to know. I seem to have slept for quite a while." He looked at the water, but saw something odd in the water; his memories instead. "What is this?"

"It's your Cinematic Record. Apparently, it's drifted all the way here," Sebastian said.

"So this is . . . the life I've lived. I'm . . . dead now."

"Not yet, my lord. I will be delivering your death presently. I will take full responsibility for you until the end as your loyal butler."

"Elizabeth is sure to cry like a baby."

"Yes, Lady Elizabeth's love for you runs very deep."

"She was a sobbing mess when Madame Red died, too."

"That's because she cried your tears and hers. You didn't have enough."

"Are the three servants dead?"

"I couldn't say, my lord. The last I saw them, they appeared to be breathing. Besides, I never got their file, but that doesn't mean someone else might have," Lilliana said.

"Well, they are uncommonly stubborn, at least. And Pluto?"

"Shall I collect his bones later and bury them," Sebastian said.

"No, what meaning could bones have? Everything is . . . ,"

"Everything is what?"

"Never mind. I imagine it's still a bit too soon to speak of everything," he said, but soon noticed the waters changed from his memories to someone else's: Bastille's. Lilliana could see how the two of them were before they became deities and it brought a sad smile on her face. They were a happy family, even though it was short-lived. He even sold his soul to a demon to make her happy, but when she killed herself, he killed the demon, which impressed Lucifer. He said he would turn him into a demon instead so he could be with his sister again and the rest was history.

"So, this was Bastille Kilia," Sebastian said.

"This is who Bastille is. This is who he will always be," she said, but soon, they started to see little lights surround them.

"What are these?"

"These are the feelings held for you by the people who've passed through your life. The same goes for Bastille too."

"Feelings for us? They're very pretty. Parting with everyone doesn't make me feel any loneliness or sadness, but I do think these are pretty." However, Sebastian stopped rowing as he handed his young master a diary. "What is this?"

"It's something I brought to keep you occupied on the long journey, my lord. It's a diary Tanaka left behind before departing." Ciel soon took it from his hand and started reading it, but after a while, he stopped. Apparently, his father _did_ know that the Queen wanted to "purify" him, but he wanted to keep it a secret from Ciel so he would remain loyal to her.

"So that angel wasn't entirely off the mark with the fraud she showed me."

"What now, young master," Lilliana asked.

"Nothing; all my targets for revenge are gone and even I'm gone now," Ciel said before looking at the waters one more time, but this time, he found something floating. He picked it up and examined it closely. "It's a flower ring?"

"It's even a blue one. Allow me," Sebastian said as he examined the ring as well.

"That must be difficult with only one hand," Ciel said as Sebastian put it on his thumb, just like his old ring usually would be.

"I wanted to be a perfect butler to the last, but it seems that wasn't to be."

"This is nothing."

"That suits you very well, young master," Lilliana complimented.

* * *

Soon, the three of them managed to reach their destination, but Lilliana finally had a revelation. Once Sebastian devours Ciel's soul, he would go back to Hell and probably seek another master, which meant he was going to leave her all alone. If there was one thing she hated more anything was the idea of being alone. That was what she had to endure during her first rehabilitation until a select few people actually made an attempt to be friends: Undertaker (who succeeded), William T. Spears, Grell Sutcliff, and Ronald Knox. Even then, she felt like an outcast, so she looked for an outlet, which came in the form of Sebastian and Ciel. However, her only true outlet to her loneliness was Bastille, but now he was gone. Still, now that she had Sebastian, she didn't feel alone, but everything will change when he devours Ciel's soul. She started to cry again, but they both assumed that she was crying about her brother.

Once they arrive to the island in the middle of nowhere, they got out of the boat and walked a little ways to ruins located in the middle of the island. Lilliana carried her brother's body with them, but before they could enter, she said, "Sebastian, can I talk to you before you . . . go through with this?"

"What is it, Lilliana," he asked.

"I need to talk to you in private," she said as she set Bastille's body by a tree.

"Of course. Young master, there is a bench waiting for you inside. Would you mind waiting there," Sebastian asked. Ciel looked at her with confusion, but nodded his head. He started walking slowly toward the bench "inside" and once he was away, he asked, "What seems to be the matter? Is something bothering you?"

"So this is where it ends. All those times with you as a butler are going to end here. All those memories of what life was like for us and everyone we met will end here. Everything will end here."

"What of it?"

"That means our relationship ends here," she said softly, almost inaudible, with tears forming in her eye.

"I beg your pardon," he asked, surprised by her emotional state.

"Where will you go when you devour his soul?"

"Probably back to Hell, waiting for my next master."

"Where will you be?"

"I don't decide where I'll be called. I can be as far away as the States or Japan," he said, almost ignoring her emotional state.

"And I will be forced to stay here," she said, now with tears falling down her cheek.

"Why are you being so emotional about this? You knew this was going to happen eventually."

"I know, but I didn't imagine that I would have any emotions for you at all. I mean, it's not love, but I'm still going to miss you and our crazy antics and our . . . good times in bed. You were my escape from loneliness when I first started out. I was angry at the Reapers for what they did to me and they almost exiled me from their welcome. When I met you, I thought you were just a regular demon that was only after a soul, but when I got to know you, you showed me something else: loyalty. Your devotion to your master was great and . . . infectious. Why else would I have stayed in this job despite Ciel's harsh judgment of me? It was you."

"I'm sure things will change with your Reaper Association, especially after everything that happened in that abbey."

"Maybe, but now I don't even have my brother to rely on for comfort and support when I need it. Please, Sebastian, I already lost him; I can't lose you too. Please, don't devour his soul!"

He looked at her with shock. "Of course a Grim Reaper can't understand why I have to do this. You have tasted souls before, but have you tasted one that you seasoned yourself? I'm hungry, Lily."

"Please, Sebastian," she said as she held onto him and cried on his shoulder. After a while, he pushed her back and wiped the tears off her face.

"You poor girl," he said before giving her a kiss. It wasn't a passionate one like they were used to, but it was still . . . romantic, like the one she gave Katia. Soon, their lips parted, but instead of giving her an answer, he left her side to feast on Ciel's soul. She fell to her knees and cried. Her last escape from loneliness has left her and she was all alone. How could she change his mind? He was one hell of a butler that was finally receiving his reward for his hard work. She was just a Rogue Reaper who was about to lose everything . . . again. There was no one to save her this time. She was now all alone in her pit of eternal darkness.

* * *

When everyone was away from the ruins, all that was left was Bastille's corpse, which was surpassingly still fresh after all this time. Demons don't normally die; Lilliana already knew, but there was one thing that Bastille neglected to tell her.

Suddenly, the sound of heels could be heard heading toward the corpse. The tall figure with long black hair, royal clothing, and blood red eyes, approached the dead demon and started to laugh. "I never thought I would see you like this, Bastille. Even you managed to escape a contract with a demon and I granted you life when you should have been dead. I gave you mercy, something I don't normally do, because I was impressed with you and your devotion to your sister. Funny that making a deal with a being that was supposedly your enemy would eventually kill you, but you're not really dead, aren't you? No, you are just waiting for my order on what to do with your soul. I can just make you a human, but what fun would that be? Making you a lower-class demon can be exciting, but I almost see you as my own son. I taught you and Lily everything you needed to become demons, but even I kept secrets from you. Don't worry; you'll see your sister again, but for now, rest until I know what to do with you."


	22. The Story of Lilliana the Rogue Reaper

"Everyone is here, I trust? Hello, my name is William T. Spears. I will be one of your designated instructors that will mold you into proper Grim Reapers and will be with you throughout your training period. Feel free to come ask me questions about anything you find unclear," William said to this year's recruits. This year, he was scheduled to teach the recruits, which was never an easy task. It didn't help that he was partnered with probably the worst teacher here, well, other than Lilliana, but for different reasons. "Now, let's begin with-," William tried to say, but he heard a distracting humming in the background. He sighed as he said, "Grell Sutcliff, aren't you an instructor as well?"

"Oh, honey, you know I'm not good with children, but I came right over when I heard you were here," Grell said as he leaned toward his beloved Will. "I'm so happy! It's been ever so long since we were together."

"I can't imagine what the Personal Department was thinking," he said in an annoyed tone.

"Ah, you're so standoffish as ever. It's so fetching," Grell said with adoration in his voice, but was interrupted when Lilliana ran into the room, breathing hard from running all the way here.

"Sorry I'm late. They kept me longer than I planned," she said out of breath.

"They sent you to work with us," Grell asked in an angry and jealous tone.

"Yeah," she said, but she noticed that all the recruits in the room, who happened to be all boys, as usual, were all staring at her with awe in their eyes. "I forget that I'm the only female Reaper here, well except for Katia, but she's temporary."

"Excuse me," Grell asked in a furious tone.

"I will always see you as half a woman," she said. The two would have continued arguing if William didn't stop them.

"Now, that's enough! We need to act professionally in front of the recruits. They look to us as their mentors."

"And they thought it was a great idea for me to be an instructor?"

"I thought the same, but there is nothing we can do about it. Perhaps you can teach them certain defense skills when fighting an angel or a demon," William said to Lilliana.

"Hm, that actually sounds like a good idea," she said, but saw that the recruits were still staring at her. "Stop it! You need to focus on the task ahead of you. Fuck, if you act like this in front of me, what will you do when you are in the human world?"

"Ms. Kiliamo, language," William warned.

"I'm sorry, but they needed to hear it," she said.

"What else can go wrong," he said underneath his breath

* * *

The trio guided the recruits throughout the Association facilities, including the library, Administration, General Affairs, Personnel, and other areas that the recruits should be familiar with. They explained many topics ranging from their possible jobs to exceptions on the To-Die list, but some weren't focusing because of the elephant in the room: a female Reaper. True, there were female Reapers in the past and currently all over the world, but in this sect, there was only one . . . and a half. One of the last stops of the day was the spectacles workshop, where they saw how the spectacles were made and how they determine the thickness of the lens. They were lucky to see the head of the department, Lawrence Anderson, or "Pops", working on a pair with extra care.

"Oh, no matter how many times I see this, my heart still quivers," Grell said, making Lilliana's eyes roll.

"This is the legendary man who makes all the Reaper's spectacles? How fascinating," one of the recruits said.

"So, we'll be able to wear his spectacles now, too," another said with excitement.

"I'd like a new pair as soon as possible. The new-recruit spectacles are so dull," a third one said.

Lilliana chuckled as she said, "You lads have a long, long way to go before you're ready to wear Pop's spectacles."

"Only those who pass the final exam are permitted to wear his spectacles. In other words, they are a sort of proof that you've become a full-fledged Grim Reaper," William said, but he saw Lilliana and added, "Well, for most of us." She gave him an angry glare.

"Sir, what is this 'final exam'," one recruit asked.

"At the end of your training period, you'll form into groups of two and screen and collect a soul." At those words, the recruits looked nervous.

"By the look of it, this year's recruits are going to be useless," Grell said.

"If so, we'll simply send them away and start over."

"Quite as cold as ever. You're just the same now as you were then."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, our first time together."

"I only wish I could forget it," he said as he looked at Lilliana, who looked at him with a confused look.

"Oh, my body will never forget. Just the thought of it makes me-" he said before embracing himself with pleasure. Lilliana could have sworn he ejaculated in his pants as he spoke. "I mean, you thrust into me from above and from below, for goodness's sake, and face to face and from behind! Oh, I thought my body would just give out!"

However, Lilliana hit the lovesick Reaper on the head as she said, "I was there too and it was nothing like you remember."

"Oh, that's right. I could have sworn we were working with a different person back then and was later turned into yet another person after the little . . . accident." She gritted her teeth in anger, but decided not to beat him senseless . . . right now.

"Honestly, being saved by you is the only blot on my life's record."

"Is that all? I'm pretty sure there's one more little detail- Ow," Grell said before he was hit in the head again.

"The final sounds difficult. You have to sit there and watch a human die," one recruit stated with nervousness.

"Remember that it is merely a job. There is no place for unnecessary emotions in a job. We need only carry out our duties and simply follow orders from on high, without attachments . . . or errors," Will said.

* * *

The group finally reached the last stop of their tour, but Lilliana did not want to go anywhere near it other than to visit poor Katia. "This is the rehabilitation center where we keep and retrain Grim Reapers that have fallen out of line or weren't on the line to begin with," Will said as he looked straight at Lilliana.

"Sir, have you ever had . . . what you call them, 'Rogue Reapers'," a recruit asked.

"Yes, we have. In fact, we have one among us," Grell said. The recruits looked frightened, scared to know who it was. "Yes, quite a dangerous creature, she is. She is not to be trusted and why should we? Her brother is a demon after all."

"Don't you dare talk bad about Bastille," Lilliana said with red eyes. "In fact, why are you talking shit about him?! I swear every fucking time I bring him up, you keep mentioning how much you want him inside you!" The recruits saw the red in her eyes and were afraid. Those boners they had for her went soft real quick. Soon, they started running away in fear and she said, "Come to class tomorrow at 8am sharp." With a deep breath, she calmed down and her eyes turned back green. "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to take a break before I start devouring priests' souls again."

* * *

6pm finally arrived and Will was about to head home, which always passed the rehabilitation center, but this time, he noticed someone outside and crying. "Ms. Kiliamo, are you all right?"

She looked up and quickly wiped her tears when she saw who it was. "I'm fine. I just had a shitty week. Who knew so much could change in an instant."

"What are you doing outside the rehabilitation center? I thought you hated it."

"Oh, I do, but since Katia is here, I thought I might as well give her support through this horrible time. It's best to try to survive with someone who has gone through the same punishment, even though I had worse issues than her." She paused herself, but suddenly asked, "When you said you 'wished you could forget' the past, why did you look at me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You honestly thought I didn't see you? I mean, back then, I truly wasn't myself, but that doesn't mean I don't remember what happened. After all, you were the one who was crushing hard on me."

"I did not-" William said, embarrassed, but was cut off.

"Oh, you can't lie to me that easily. You told me yourself and I'll be honest, you were attractive then, well, because you were the only guy that gave me that kind of attention. Did you want to forget that?"

"I . . . I-," he tried to say, but he couldn't think of anything to say at this point.

"Or do you want to forget the pain that came right after that?"

* * *

One hundred years ago, there were two recruits who were scheduled to take the final exam. Their names were William T. Spears, who was a B average student, and Grell Sutcliff, who was an A student, except in written exams and ethics. However, Grell thought that William would bring him down since he believed he was the best and wanted a man to "milk him for all his worth", so the instructors at the time thought this was the best time to test the latest experiment in the rehabilitation center. "The human in question is scheduled to die in one month. You'll spend that month examining whether he deserves death. Naturally, you're free to give your conclusion before your time runs out. Here is the data on your target. I wish for your success," the Head Reaper said as he gave them the file, but added, "Oh, I almost forgot something. If this Rogue Reaper that you will be working with steals a soul, whether from the target or someone else, we are immediately failing you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, but don't get in my way," Grell said in an annoyed tone.

"I look forward to working with you," William said with a bow.

As the recruits were guided to the hall of white rooms, the Reaper in charge said, "Be careful with this one. She may look sweet and innocent, but I must warn you, she is deadly." Grell and Will gulped at the warning, expecting the very worse. As a challenge, the instructors thought it would be a good idea to put them in charge of a Rogue Reaper, a rare specimen in their realm, but they somehow managed to get one. They finally arrived to the white room that held the Rogue Reaper, but as the door opened, they were surprised to see who was inside. A woman, lying on the floor, was staring at the ceiling, wearing a button down shirt and black skirt, but she looked their way at the sound of the door opening. As she saw her visitors, a big smile formed on her face and her bright green eyes showed joy. "Lilliana Kiliamo, this is William T. Spears and Grell Sutcliff. You will be working on the final exam together."

"Oh, how wonderful! I'm so excited to work with you two," she said with glee as she got up and walked toward them. She was disturbingly happy, despite being in such a horrific place. She seemed to be too sweet to be labeled as dangerous and she wasn't what they thought a Rogue Reaper would look like or act at all. "What are we going to do? I just want to be a Grim Reaper so badly!"

" _She_ is the Rogue Reaper we were warned about," Grell asked. "Why, I bet she wouldn't even harm a fly." Despite his previous statement, he carefully approached her and gave her a pat on the head, which made her giggle like a little girl. "Ugh, I thought we were going to have a challenge, but at least she won't be a problem, right Will? . . . Will?"

William wasn't listening to him at all. He couldn't help, but stare at the unique creature. She wasn't like a Rouge Reaper, thank goodness, but she was unlike anyone he had ever seen. She seemed to put a spell on him without doing anything. She was . . . beautiful.

* * *

 _Before we continue with this back story, yes, this is the same Lilliana Kiliamo you've been reading about thus far. Yes, this is the same woman you would see talk shit about the Reaper Association. Yes, this is the same woman who had olive green eyes. Yes, this is the woman who liked to pick fights with Grell and Will whenever she could. However, this Lilliana is under the rehabilitation's spell. You know, the "first attempt" that Katia talked about. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go find the chapter where she was talking with Undertaker and catch up. For those of you who have done your homework, you are welcome to continue reading._

* * *

"The living world is always filthy," Grell said as he looked for their target, but all he could see was people living out their lives in many vulgar ways. "Ugh, I can't stand it!" However, he looked at Will, who was staring at Lilliana, who was way too happy, in his opinion, about being outside. He wasn't even subtle about it either. "Are you even paying attention?"

"Oh, sorry," he said, as if he was released from a spell.

"Stop ogling that girl and get back to the task at hand. Why did I ever agree to working with you?"

"You didn't, really. You were forced to."

"Don't get smart with me, boy! Those idiots didn't know what they were doing and now we have this ditzy girl with us."

"I've found him," Lilliana said as she pointed to a lit window. However, what surprised them is that she saw their target some distance away without a binocular. Even with spectacles, a Grim Reaper's vision wasn't _that_ great.

"How on earth could you see him from here," Will said.

"Well I have good . . . spectacles," she said shyly.

"Regardless, we have our man: Thomas Wallis, born in Bristol in 1775. He is an earnest young man who spends each day working at the printer's and each night at the boardinghouse writing his novels. He submits them to publishers, but with no sign of success," William said.

"Uh, how typical; poor, talentless, and can't get a date. Right then, he's cleared for death," Grell said as he was about to stamp the file, but Lilliana pulled the file away from him.

"Let's investigate this for the full month," she said. "You'll never know what kind of work he can produce."

"Are you going against me? Fabulous," he said as he pulled out his training Death Scythe and swung it toward her, but William blocked his attack, just in time. However, Grell managed to kick him in the gut and send him flying to a bricked chimney. The impact was so hard that it made her gasp in shock. Will was too hurt to get up, but Grell strutted toward him. "Well, what will you do now?"

Suddenly, Grell felt a kick to his back that sent him flying to a roof of another building . . . almost a mile far away from them. Will looked in shock at what just happened and saw Lilliana looking at him with worry in her eyes. "Are you all right," she asked sweetly as she extended a hand to him.

"I've had worse days," he said as he took her hand and carefully got up.

"I hate to be violent, but I had to. He was hurting you."

"Wait, _you_ were the one who hit me," Grell said as he returned to the roof, clearly in pain. "You little bitch! What gives you the right to hit me?!"

"I'm very sorry for that, but I could say the same for you. We aren't supposed to hurt our own kind! If there is going to be any fighting, let it be against a demon."

"For an innocent woman, you have a lot of strength."

"I know," she said regretfully. "But we still have a month for our test and since this is our first screening, I think we should continue to observe him to be sure we don't make a mistake."

"What a little troublemaker you are. Do as you like and I'll do as I like, too," Grell said.

"What day is he scheduled to die again," she asked.

"4pm on December 16, 1799," William answered.

"Well, we'll have all month to get to know each other better. Besides, Thomas might surprise us with his life."

* * *

Three days passed and the three Grim Reapers studied Thomas constantly. They watched him as he worked all day and write all night. They watched him go to the local publisher, but never receiving the recognition for his work. Along with that, the two men kept on eye on the girl that was claimed to be dangerous. Despite her demonstration of strength, she never exhibited any other signs of her supposed wicked ways. Surprisingly, despite their bad first impression, she and Grell became friends. She was sweet to him and complimented every fabulous outfit he picked out for the day. He even called her Lily instead of Lilliana, which made her feel special. Will and Lilliana seemed to get closer, but he could never admit how he felt for her. He didn't know what it was, but it made his interactions with her awkward at times. He has caught himself losing his composure around her and sometimes, she'll point it out. Still, she had that warm smile that made him melt inside. How can something so innocent and beautiful be evil? William and Lilliana watched Thomas sit on the bench, saddened by his latest rejection from the publishers, but one thing was on their mind: where was Grell?

"Hey you two," Grell's voice said. They turned toward the voice and saw Grell in today's outfit: a _very_ red overcoat with a brown colonial hat.

"What are you wearing," William said.

"What does it matter to you? Besides, I wanted her opinion," he said.

"It's probably one of your best outfits," she said with glee.

Grell had a huge smile on his face. "Thank you, Lily! Anyways, are you ready to stamp the file or not?"

"We've only been at this for three days," William said with annoyance in his tone.

"Isn't that enough? I'm sick of the living world and there aren't any handsome men here. Hurry up and make your decision."

"All right, I will," he said as he started walking to Thomas, shocking the two other Grim Reapers. "Good afternoon, sir. My name is William T. Spears."

"What?!" the two of them yelled in shock.

After a while of talking, William convinced Thomas to let him take a look at his latest manuscript, but as he read it, he commented, "You should probably spend some time editing this. Your prose is a tad roundabout."

"It's funny you mention that. The publisher told me that, too," Thomas said in a nervous voice.

However, Grell grabbed Will by his tie and said, "What the devil are you playing at?"

"Grell, don't hurt him," Lilliana warned.

"I will do what I bloody want to him," Grell said before he remembered her strength. "I'll try to play nice."

"You told me to hurry up and decide."

"This isn't what I had in mind! Are you an idiot?!"

"There isn't a rule forbidding us to contact with our target. Trust me; they made me read the test instructions multiple times," Lilliana said.

"Excuse me, but why are you three carrying sickles," Thomas asked.

"They're Death Scythes," William said, but Grell urged him to keep his mouth shut.

"Death Scythes, like the one the Grim Reaper carries in all the legends?"

"Yes, in fact, we are Grim Reapers and I'm afraid you will die soon. Therefore, we are investigating whether you truly ought to die or-" Will tried to say, but Grell put the blade of his Death Scythe around his neck.

"I should have killed you the first time I saw you."

"Lilliana, am I breaking any rules by saying what I just said?"

"No, actually there is nothing wrong with it. I wonder why," she said.

"Only an idiot would do so," Grell said out of anger.

"Oh, I understand; you're actors, aren't you and this is a new form of avant-garde theater with audience participation," Thomas asked.

"Shut your mouth and stay out of this," Grell yelled.

"You don't have to be so rude to him," Lilliana said.

"But you're so pretty! You are meant to be on stage! I've never seen a man so beautiful in my life with that red hair and pearly skin. London really is the city of wonders, isn't it," Thomas said with awe.

"Oh yes! All the world's a stage, and I am a player navigating through the battlefield that is love! No, love is man and man in a tragic dream play," Grell recited as if he was on stage.

"You just had to feed the addiction, didn't you," Lilliana said with a playful smile.

Soon, the trio left the young author, but they continued to watch him through his window at his house, but Will was upset. "Thanks to you, I wasn't able to investigate."

"Please, it was your fault for talking to the boy, but I must admit, he seems to be a promising fellow, doesn't he?"

"Yes he does. I wonder what he will write next," Lilliana said.

* * *

The title of the new novel that Thomas started was surprising to the three Reapers _: The Story of Will the Reaper_. It was a tale of a new Reaper named Will who observed the various lives of humans. He watched dispassionately as he saw the dying souls, neither good nor evil, live their lives, until he met one human maiden who was destined for death. Her name was Lilliana and she returned his love, but now, he was caught between Reaper law and the dictates of his own heart. In the end, he chose love and tried to save her. Luckily, he had aid from his friend, a red-headed and fair-of-heart Reaper named Grell. However, Will and Grell's efforts were in vain; Lilliana died. Will appealed to the god ruling that world by saying that he would exchange his soul in exchange for hers. And so it was agreed that her life would be spared, but at a price: all her memories of Will would be erased. He was fine with that since he knew that even if all memory of him was lost, deep within her soul, there would be proof of their love. No one could ever erase that. Soon, Will disappeared and she was brought back to life and although she had no memory of him, she fell in love and bore a child and named him Will.

The novel was approved for publishing and he continued to write while the three Reapers edited his work while he was away or asleep. His deadline, however, was familiar to them: 4pm on December 16th, the date he was scheduled to die. However, they were intrigued by the story. After all, it was interesting to read a story about themselves, even if it was fictional. "Not a bad story, don't you agree," Grell said as he read the last chapter of the novel.

"Rather, this is a masterpiece. It will go down in history as a classic," William said as he examined the chapter.

"Unfortunately, he is going to die tomorrow at 4 o'clock," Lilliana said.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to get some beauty rest. I don't want to hear any noises, understood," Grell said.

"Of course," she said as he left the room and closed the door behind him. The two Grim Reapers continued to read the chapter and were enthralled by the story. However, William felt uncomfortable when she started to read it. Somehow, Thomas wrote how he felt for her, but labeled it love. He thought she was the most beautiful, kindest, and just plain amazing woman he ever met, which was hard for him to accept. He never felt anything near this in his life and was taught that Grim Reapers couldn't express the same emotions as humans since they would be a hindrance to their work. However, if that was the case, what was he feeling inside him? Was this really . . . love? "I love you, Will," she said under her breath.

"I beg your pardon," he asked.

"What? It's what she says to him before she dies. It must be heartbreaking to be separated from the one you love, to the point that you would sacrifice everything you have for their happiness."

"I suppose so, but we Grim Reapers can't understand what that is like. We are incapable of feeling such an emotion as love."

"Do you truly believe that? I mean, we are supposed to be unemotional so we have no bias when it comes to our targets, but I can't imagine a world without love. After all, this book proves it."

"That is a story of fiction. It's not real."

"Is it," she asked as she examined his facial expression, which changed from unemotional to shock. "There is a reason why you are so enthralled with this story and it's not only because of the name. It's about you and me . . . in love."

"A-And why would that matter," he said, trying to hide his nervousness, but failing to do so.

"I've been watching you, Will, along with our target. You haven't been able to keep your eyes off me since we met," she said almost seductively. He blushed from the fact that she had noticed this whole time, but didn't explicitly say anything. "And I'll be honest with you; I like you too."

"R-Really," he asked in shock.

"Yeah, I mean it. Grell is flamboyant and all, but you were the one who caught my eye," she said as she walked up to him and gave him a hug. "You were the kindest person I've met." However, as she looked at him, he couldn't help, but kiss her. Grant it, he never kissed anyone in his life, but he has observed humans kiss while on field trips to the human world. However, despite his inexperience, she made up for it. Even though he wanted to part lips quickly, she made sure their lips were locked and even added tongue. He tried to pull back, but she pushed him to a wall so he couldn't escape.

Eventually, he managed to free himself and said, "Lilliana, stop!"

She finally realized what she was doing and quickly pulled away. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me."

"I'm surprised you knew how to kiss like that."

"I don't, really. You are my first kiss."

"Pardon?"

"It's true. I learned how to through . . . watching others," she said before tears started forming in her eyes. "When I was a monster; that's what they said I was. They said what I was doing was evil and I need to learn how to control myself. I'm a monster."

"What are you talking about," William said lovingly.

"I don't want to hear those things anymore! Every day, I would hear that I'm a monster, but I'm not and you and Grell know that. Please tell me that I'm not the monster they think I am."

"You're not a monster," he said as he wiped her tears, which brought a smile on her face. "In fact, after tomorrow, I will tell them personally that you are not a monster."

"Thank you," she said as she hugged him tightly.

* * *

The next day, the three of them watched as Thomas ran to the publisher's office some time before four. Lilliana held onto William's arm as they watched the inevitable death unfold, but Grell had other things in mind. "Maybe we should let him live. I could contact the Association-,"

"That won't be necessary. We will collect his soul as scheduled," William said, surprising both of them.

"Um, aren't you forgetting about the loophole? Souls beneficial to the world are excluded from the list."

"You think his soul is beneficial?"

"You said yourself that his novel is a masterpiece," Lilliana said.

"And you think that might is all it takes to exempt his soul; his novel? Is that what you are suggesting?"

"Well . . . ,"

"Is there a problem with that," Grell asked in an angry tone.

"No, there isn't one, but you are mistaken."

"Oh, so that's what it is? I'm mistaken? You've got some nerve to say those fighting words to me," Grell said as he tried to swing his Death Scythe toward him, but Lilliana blocked it with hers and managed to push him away. "Are you going to let her do all the fighting for you? You're more pathetic than I thought."

"Injuring my partner would affect my grade, but there is no rule saying she can't."

"Oh, so that's it? Well, why don't you fight me then? A B-average student against an A-student like me won't stand a chance."

"I believe you're only a triple-A in practical skills, correct," he said as he took out his Death Scythe.

"Don't you mock me," Grell said as he tried swinging at him again, but missed multiple times. However, Will started to attack him with all his might, which matched Grell's skill, but something about being on the receiving end of an attack made him . . . hot and bothered. Being beaten savagely like this . . . turned him on. Eventually, Grell was defeated, but it sure didn't feel like it to him.

"True, he may become a famous author whose name will go down in history, but the world will be no different with or without him. It's time, we must be off," William said, but when he went to look for Lilliana, she wasn't around. "Lilliana? Where did she go?"

"She must be at the scene," Grell said, but it was hard to speak at this point.

"C'mon, let's go," he said as he started roof-jumping toward their destination, but Grell needed a few minutes before moving. However, as he reached the destination, he saw Lilliana looking down at the scene. Thomas almost made it to the publisher, but he was unfortunately hit by a carriage that didn't see him crossing. Blood was quickly pouring out of him and everyone looked in horror. "Lilliana, are you all right," he asked her. Although she had to get used to these kinds of brutal deaths, he didn't want it to scar her.

"I don't feel so good," she said, but her voice sounded like she was holding something back.

"You don't need to see such a . . . ," he said as he turned her around so she was facing him, but what he saw surprised him: blood-red eyes.

"I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster," she said over and over, but each time she said it, her tone seemed to change from frightened to . . . calm and collected.

"What is this," he asked in shock.

"I forgot to mention something to you, Will. The reason why I am a Rogue Reaper is that my brother is a demon and he taught me a lot about souls, including how delicious they are. Since you are special to me, I'll let you in on a little secret: I'm fucking hungry," she said in a villainous tone as she pushed him away and immediately descended toward the site below. She walked to dying Thomas and with her Death Scythe in her hand, she told him, "Hello Thomas. I'm afraid there is going to be a change in plans. I'm going to devour your soul." She then struck the Death Scythe in him and everyone around them ran away in fear. This was a lot simpler for her than ripping the soul out of the body since it left little mess and if she wanted to get away with this, she had to look like it was collected.

"Lilliana, stop," Will said as he grabbed her and forced her to the roof above, letting the soul go free momentarily.

"Let me go! I'm hungry and his soul is crying to be devoured by a demon," she said as she tried to get out of his grip, but he wouldn't let her go.

"You are not a demon and I won't allow you to ruin our chances to pass the test," he said.

"Well, this should be a fun battle to the death then." Despite her strength, he knew that there was one weakness that every Grim Reaper had: without their spectacles, they cannot see. He quickly removed her spectacles and threw them some distance away from them and she looked frantic. "Oh no! I can't see without my spectacles!" She got out of his grip to "go look for them", but when she was some distance, she started to laugh menacingly. "Nice try," she said as she swung her Death Scythe toward him.

"This . . . This is impossible! How are you able to see," William asked in utter shock.

"Those spectacles hindered my vision so I couldn't see the littlest of paper cuts from some distance away, so thank you for taking those infernal things off," she said as she was able to knock off his spectacles from his face.

"Oh no; I can't fight like this," he said frantically as he tried to look for them, but she kicked him while he was down.

"All the better for me," she said, but soon was tied up by Thomas' Cinematic Record. "What the fuck?" They then started to pierce into her and Will and they both could see his memories. However, Will was saved when a Death Scythe cut through the Cinematic Record around him and he was set free.

"How rude; first, you get me all hot and bothered and then you go off and play with her." Grell said as he put Will's spectacles back on his face. "You should be more careful of those." He turned to Lilliana and said, "Keep your hands off my man, you dirty home-wrecker."

"I'm not your man, but let's get through this," William said. Eventually, they managed to collect the soul that fought so hard to live and poor Thomas Wallace died. The Cinematic Record surrounding Lilliana was gone, but since she was infected by the memories longer than any Reaper should, she passed out and fell into Will's arms.

"So, that's what a Rogue Reaper is really like," Grell said. "I could have mistaken her for a demon."

"She wasn't a monster," he said to himself, but he couldn't bring himself to believe those words anymore. So that's how a woman so sweet and innocent could be so dangerous.

"Well, believe what you want, but she is too dangerous to be working out in the fields. If she acted like this in front of us, just imagine what she could get away with on her own."

"She . . . She is too dangerous."

* * *

"I'll admit that it was difficult seeing what you were capable of and it frightened me," William said to Lilliana in front of the rehabilitation center.

"Well, I was a different person back then. Heck, I actually gave Grell compliments, but I do miss the time when you two viewed me as another Grim Reaper and I hope I can see that again . . . Oh, I almost forgot," she said as she pulled out a folded piece of paper with many creases in it. "I managed to steal a page out of that novel. Even I knew Thomas wasn't worth saving, but I didn't want to say anything."

Will took the paper out of her hand and examined it. It was a page from the last chapter. More importantly, it was the scene that William sacrificed his soul for Lilliana's. "You kept this all this time," he asked in surprise

I would always read it when I was depressed, which has been more times than I would like to admit. In fact, I memorized it to give you a clue, but I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it since we were talking about that day," she said with a chuckle. "Anyway, I should get going. It's probably almost morning back at the estate. I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. He looked at her with shock, but she said, "Don't get too emotional about it."

When he returned home, he read the piece of paper and couldn't help, but feel sentimental. When Lilliana died, Will offered up his soul in exchange so she could have a second chance in life, but William T. Spears didn't do the same. That Lilliana died and was reborn into the one he saw every day. When she was brought back to the rehabilitation center, he completely abandoned her. What was he suppose to do? She literally scared the shit out of him and his attraction toward her vanished. When she returned as the woman he knew today, she never asked why he left her behind; she understood why and never brought up the topic. Though, she had hatred towards Grim Reapers in general, including him and Grell, when she returned, causing her to join forces with a demon and his boy master. He had to admit, he still found her special, even after all these years. After all, she was simply one hell of a Reaper.

* * *

 _ **Well, this is usually the point that I end the story and start asking my readers questions to help inspire me what to write for the sequel, but I'm not sure I want to end it here. As far as I know, I am done and will soon be working on the sequel (which has already been uploaded by the way: One Hell of a Reaper II), but if there is something you are dying to know, then please leave a review or message me. Are you curious how Lilliana and Sebastian first met? Are you curious to learn about her demonic life with Bastille? Are you curious about the lives of Bastille and Lily Kilia as humans? Please let me know. If you think it's fine as it is, then I'll leave it here. **_

**_Since I still have your attention, I might as well ask some questions. (Ha, it rhymed) What is to become of Lilliana Kiliamo? How will she deal with losing her brother and possibly Sebastian? Will she become a full-time Grim Reaper?_** ** _So many questions, but only you can answer them._**

 _ **Thank you so much for reading my story and I hope you enjoyed yourself.**_

 _ **See you soon. PhantomGypsy13**_


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